Here's To Forever
by BuffyAnn23
Summary: After the events of GITF and meeting a mysterious woman from their future, The Doctor and Rose have finally broken down the barriers and admitted their feelings to one another. So what happens next? An A/U retelling of seasons 2,3, and 4. *Companion piece to Written Across Time and Space. (You will need to read that first)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Gasp! Another rewrite? I know, I just couldn't help it. This is a companion piece to Written Across Time and Space, so you'll want to read that first. This Chapter is Adult, hence the "M" rating, so if you don't like to read that type of stuff, when Mickey says G'Night, you should just stop reading and skip to the next chapter. Weelll, as soon as it's posted anyway...And for the rest of you, enjoy.**

* * *

><p><em>Previously:<em>

_"The truth is I'm tired Rose," he spoke softly looking into her eyes. "Tired of running from what I really want. Tired of running from…you," he swallowed roughly as Rose's jaw dropped slightly. "I keep putting barriers between us; hurting you in the process, because I thought it would make it easier when I lose you one day. And I'm ashamed, because I used both Reinette's and Mickey's affections as distractions to keep us apart because I was afraid. But I was wrong, and I can't do it anymore. I don't want to. No matter how much time we have, I want to make the most of it. Together, if you want." He shrugged his shoulders slightly._

_A smile began to spread across Rose's face and ignited his own, crinkling the corners of his eyes. He looked down at their hands, and ran circles over the tops of hers with his thumbs. He swallowed again, and looked up and into her eyes. _

_"Rose…" he paused, taking a deep breath._

_Her lips twitched at the corners and she shook her head. "S' ok, you don't have to say…" _

_"I know I don't," he interrupted as he wrapped his arms around her waist; drawing her closer. "But just so you know that I meant everything I've said here today," he looked deeply into her eyes. "Rose Tyler, I love you so very, very much." _

_The smile that lit up her face at that moment took his breath away. She placed her hands on his chest, one above each heart. "I love you too, my Doctor."_

_"Oh, my love, my Rose Tyler," he nuzzled her nose with his again. "How long you gonna stay with me?"_

_Rose lifted a hand up to his cheek, lovingly stroking his sideburn with her thumb and smiled. "Forever."_

_His own hand reached up covering hers before entwining their fingers once more. "Let's go home," he said leaning down to kiss her again. _

_Hand in hand, they slowly walked back to the TARDIS as the fireplace flickered and then extinguished itself behind them._

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 – Surrendering<strong>

When they walked back into the TARDIS, Mickey was waiting for them. His entire body language was tense. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest and his mouth formed a thin line. "So he's back now is he?" he said angrily; eyes narrowing at the sight of their clasped hands.

"Mickey," Rose began.

"No Rose!" he snapped. "It's clear that you've already forgiven him; like you always do, but I'm not lettin' him off that easy. He left us! He went swannin' off after that French bint, and left us here to die. Worse, he hurt you, and I ain't gonna stay quiet about it any longer. Cause, I ain't the tin dog no more, and he needs to know what he did was incredibly…"

"Stupid." The Doctor interjected.

"What?" Mickey momentarily forgetting his rage was now looking at him as if he had just grown a second head.

"I was stupid, and selfish and arrogant, and you are completely right. You are not a tin dog and I'm sorry for leaving you both."

Rose squeezed his hand and smiled up at him, but Mickey just continued to stare at him dumbfounded. '_Did the almighty Lord of Time just apologize to me?_' he couldn't believe it.

The Doctor began tugging on his ear. "I'm not proud of my actions, and even though I had my reasons at the time; which I have now realized were completely and utterly ridiculous, I should never have gone through that window without making sure you two were ok first. I know I can't ask you to just forgive me, but I do ask that you at least believe me when I say I am truly sorry."

Mickey, who was still unable to think clearly at this change in The Doctor's persona felt his boiling anger start to dissipate to a low simmer, "And what about Rose then, huh? Never mind the fact we almost got killed by those clockwork things; including the one that was still on the ship after you left, that I protected her from. Cause you hurt her goin' off after that other woman."

"I know I did," The Doctor nodded; looking down at Rose. "And I will never stop apologizing to her for what happened." She gave him a small smile. "But I swear to you Mickey," he turned his attention back to the young man. "It wasn't like that. I went to save her that's all. Nothing happened between Reinette and I, because…" he took a breath. "I love Rose, and I promise you, I will never hurt her again."

Mickey's jaw hit the floor, and he looked at Rose who was now blushing and smiling at her feet. "Are you winding me up?"

"What?" The Doctor asked confusedly.

"I mean, did you fall off that horse and hit your head?"

"What? No. Why do people keep asking me that?" The Doctor frowned.

"Well somethin' happened. You're actin' all un-Doctor-like. You're finally admittin' your feelings for Rose, and then you're apologizin' to me. Did you catch somethin' in France? Like a virus that affects aliens differently than it does humans? Or did you take some sort'a truth serum. Wait, was it that redheaded girl? Did she slip ya' somethin'? Cause she seemed to know a lot about us." He turned to Rose. "Where is she anyway?"

Rose smiled softly. "She's gone. She went home." As he opened his mouth to barrage her with more questions, she hurriedly added, "I'll fill you in on all of that later Mick, I promise."'

He nodded; turning back to The Doctor. "So which is it then?"

The Doctor sighed. "There's nothing wrong with me Mickey. I just had…well; let's just say it was a wakeup call. I'm not going to discuss my feelings for Rose with you; because that's between us," he said looking over at her and smiling. "I know that I haven't exactly treated you very well and you have every right to be angry with me, but I want you to know that I appreciate all that you've done; including protecting Rose when those droids tried to…" he closed his eyes and swallowed roughly. When he felt Rose give his hand a reassuring squeeze he continued. "I truly am incredibly, regrettably, sorry."

Mickey, who had been trying to hold onto every ounce of anger he felt towards this alien who had dropped into their lives so suddenly and swept Rose away, knew he had lost the battle upon seeing the remorse on The Doctor's face. He knew the Time Lord meant was he was saying, but he still felt the need to assert himself on Rose's behalf. He may have lost her to The Doctor the moment they met, but that would never stop him from caring about her or wanting to protect her.

"Well, yeah…damn right you are, and…and you better never let it happen again you hear, or…or you'll have me to deal with, got it?" Mickey crossed his arms once more and gave him a stern look.

"Got it," The Doctor nodded his head. "Thank you Mickey."

"Yeah, well…I'm gonna head off to bed. It's been a long day and I…yeah, so… g'night." He walked out of the room, still shaking his head in confusion.

"G'night Mickey." Rose called.

She looked up at the Doctor and he smiled, running his thumb over the back of her hand. They walked up the ramp towards the console and she sat down in the jump seat; watching as The Doctor began the dematerialization sequence. Flipping a few more levers, he sent them into the vortex and then walked back over to Rose. Looking down at her, he reached a hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and then began caressing her cheek with his thumb. She leaned into his touch, turning her head to press a kiss to the palm of his hand and he stilled his movements. They stared into one another's eyes for a moment; the air sizzling around them. Leaning down, he placed a gentle kiss to her lips, then another as he lowered himself onto the jump seat beside her. His hands moved up to the sides of her face as he ran his tongue along her lower lip seeking entrance and she quickly granted it, clutching onto the Doctor's lapels as his tongue caressed her own, sending waves of pleasure throughout her body. They broke apart once her need for air became apparent, and rested their foreheads against one another.

"You should probably get some sleep." He spoke quietly.

"Yeah, probably should. S' been a long day." She agreed.

"C'mon," he said, taking her hand and pulling her up from the jump seat. "I'll walk you to your room."

**-oOo-**

As they walked along the corridor; hand in hand, they kept stealing glances at one another and smiling. When they reached her room, they dropped each other's hand and stood awkwardly; neither of them really knowing what to say.

"So, here we are." The Doctor shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his feet.

"Yep." Rose nodded.

After a few seconds he pulled his hands from his pockets; clapping them together. "A good night sleep is just what you need Rose Tyler, and then tomorrow we'll do something fun. Plus I kinda owe Mickey for making his first time out complete rubbish."

"I think that's very sweet of you." She said grinning up at him.

"Yeah, well…" he cleared his throat. "I mean, if he's going be traveling with us and all for a bit, it's only right that we make amends. As you humans say, 'do some male bonding' and all of that.

She giggled softly. "Right, well um I guess I'm jus' gonna…"

"Right, sleep, of course, I'll just leave you to it then."

"What about you?" she asked nodding to his bedroom door behind him. "Aren't you tired?"

"Me? Nah, I'm good. I have a few things to fix on the console so…" he tugged on his ear anxiously.

"You and your tinkerin'." She laughed again, shaking her head. "Well, I guess I'll see you in the morning then, yeah?"

"Yeah, yes. Good, brilliant. See you in the morning."

In the span of a few seconds, that crackle of electricity had begun to fill the air once more.

"Ok then. G'night Doctor."

"G'night Rose."

Neither one of them knew who moved first, but as their lips crashed together, they didn't much care. The Doctor wrapped his arms around Rose's waist; holding her tightly against him as her hands tangled into his hair. Letting go of her with one arm, he fumbled blindly behind him until his hand met the solid brass of his doorknob. With one swift motion he had pulled her into his bedroom, closed the door behind them, and pressed her up against it.

"Hang on," The Doctor panted as he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his sonic. Clicking a few settings, the buzzing sounds filled the air and then he tossed it behind him. "Soundproofing," he explained, and she nodded in response as his lips came crashing back onto hers.

He shrugged out of his suit jacket while she fumbled with his tie; loosening the knot and pulling it from his neck. His hands grasped her wrists and pinned them to the door on either side of her head as he delved his tongue further into her mouth; pressing his hips tightly against hers so that she could feel the evidence of his arousal. She gasped, and he began trailing kisses along her jaw, moving over to take her earlobe between his teeth; nibbling gently as his hands released her wrists to skim down her sides.

Upon reaching her waist, he grasped the hem of her t-shirt; lifting it up and over her head to reveal a sheer purple lace bra. Dropping the shirt onto the floor and grasping hold of her waist, his mouth found hers again; swallowing her moans as their tongues dueled a gentle rhythm. Her hands came to rest on his shoulders; clutching the fabric of his shirt while his traced a path from her waist, up her sides; gliding along her ribs and then sweeping inwards to cradle her breasts; cupping and kneading the lace encased flesh.

"I want you," he whispered huskily into her mouth. "Oh Rose, I've wanted you for so long."

Upon hearing his words, she felt a wave of boldness take over and much to The Doctor's displeasure, she broke away from him; kicking off her trainers as she walked towards the large four-poster bed that stood in the center of the room. Turning back to face him, she unbuttoned her jeans; slowly sliding them past her matching purple lace knickers, before shimmying out of them and tossing them away. Giving him a sultry look, she breathed out "Then take me Time Lord."

He yanked his two remaining shirts over his head and tossed them to the floor. "Oh yes." He replied with a smirk and a slight shake of his head.

She raised an eyebrow and gave him her signature tongue in tooth smile, and that was all it took. His eyes grew dark, and with a low growl he pounced, sending her into a fit of giggles as they fell onto the bed.

Propping himself up on one elbow, The Doctor reached over and brushed Rose's hair back from her face; the intensity in his gaze quickly driving away her laughter as the realization of what was happening between them took over. His warm brown eyes focused on hers so deeply she could barely breathe. Reaching out, she lightly ran her fingers over the smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks and down the side of his face to stroke his sideburn and he smiled, making her heart flutter. Her hand trailed down his neck, running along his firm shoulder and then down his lean, muscular chest through the soft trail of hair that ran from his belly button and disappeared into the waistband of his trousers. He was completely breathtaking and utterly gorgeous, and he was hers.

"I think we're a little uneven, don't you?" she asked having reached the waistband of his pants, and tugging lightly.

Catching the twinkle of amusement in his eye, she gently pushed him onto his back; sliding her leg across his hips as she moved to straddle him. Her eyes lingered on his plump bottom lip. Unable to resist, she ran her thumb across it before leaning down, to take it between hers; gently nipping at it and sucking it into her mouth as her hands once again roamed down his chest until they reached their destination. Sitting back, she unbuttoned his trousers and slowly dragged down the zipper as she looked into his eyes. He arched an eyebrow and she gave him a cheeky smile as she began pulling his trousers down his legs. Her eyes widened immediately and a blush crept up her cheeks as she took in the sight of his TARDIS blue boxer-briefs and the impressive bulge they harnessed. Looking up, she saw he was watching her with rapt attention; a filthy smile spreading across his face. Releasing the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, she finished removing his trousers, tossing them off the bed and began to run her hands along his calves, over his knees and up his thighs. His eyes fluttered closed and his respiratory bypass kicked in as she moved closer and closer to where he was aching to be touched. After a few seconds he noticed her hands had stopped moving and he opened his eyes to find her worrying her bottom lip; seemingly deep in thought.

"Rose?" he asked concernedly.

"No, it's...I was jus' wonderin', um…do we need," she gestured towards their lower halves. "Ya know, protection?"

"Oh, right." He said in recognition; sitting up slightly and supporting himself on his elbows. "Well, technically we're compatible but as far as…other things go," he cleared his throat. "We would of course need to run some tests, but there would basically have to be a bit of genetic tinkering and DNA manipulation before you could possibly…"

"Ok then, good to know." she interrupted quickly; worried that line of thinking might lead his big Time Lord brain to start questioning their relationship again and there was no way she was going to let that happen, not this time. "Now where were we?" she smiled wickedly; fingertips brushing against the inner part of his knees as they resumed their journey upwards.

He returned her smile, sliding his own hands up and down her thighs; thumbs lightly brushing her knickers, before retreating again and she whimpered. Releasing her hold on his legs, her hands moved behind her back to unclasp her bra. He watched as she slowly slid the scrap of material down her arms, baring herself to his gaze.

The Doctor swallowed audibly; taking in the sight of the woman before him. At that moment, every reason, every fear he ever had for why they shouldn't be together went out the window. For so long he had kept her at arm's length, telling himself it was for the best so that he could cope better when she was gone. Yet he would still allow himself to imagine how it would feel to kiss her, to hold her in his arms, to take her in his bed, sinking into the fantasy on nights when the day's adventure or the tinkering on the TARDIS just couldn't abate his growing desire. He had wanted her back when he was all leather and big ears, and once he regenerated those feelings only grew stronger, and it had scared him. He had never needed anyone like he needed her, and he now knew that he would never let her go no matter what the future held. The light in the room illuminated Rose's beautiful blonde hair in a golden aura and her hazel eyes were filled with a mixture of lust, love, and vulnerability. Of all the times he had fantasized this moment, none of them were a match for the reality before him and he was ready to surrender his hearts to her completely.

Grasping her hips tightly, he sat up and pulled her further into his lap. She placed her hands on his shoulders and his slid around to the small of her back, arching her body towards him as he leaned forward to press an open mouth kiss to her stomach. He slowly traced a line from her belly button to her sternum with his tongue and she gasped; fingers digging into his shoulders. "You are so beautiful." he said as he began to trail delicate kisses across the soft swells of her chest. His right palm was pressed against her lower back and he moved his left hand around the front of her body to cup her right breast firmly as he took the silky flesh into his mouth; his tongue teasing and swirling around the sensitive bud. Rose's hands found their way into his hair holding him tightly against her as she threw her head back, moaning in pleasure. He continued lavishing, sucking and nipping at her breast before releasing it with a wet pop and moving across to worship its twin, and when he lightly ran his thumbs against her sensitive nipples she cried out, arching further into his touch and grinding against his erection.

With a sharp intake of breath, The Doctor wrapped his arms around her and rolled them over so that he was on top; both moaning at the sudden contact of his bare chest against hers. He paused for a moment, settling himself above her and resting his weight on his forearms as he nuzzled her nose with his own. She looked up into his eyes; lightly biting on her bottom lip and he smiled, leaning down to take it between his own. He kissed her slowly and sensuously; hands moving downwards to continue caressing her soft mounds of flesh as she ran hers through his thick chocolate locks; lightly dragging her nails against his scalp earning her what almost sounded like a contented purr. He pulled away from her lips to trail open mouth kisses down her neck, lightly sucking on her pulse point before moving to join his hands. Rose was on fire, and the naturally cool temperature of The Doctor's body did little to contain the flames that threatened to consume her. This was no longer the heated '_gotta have you now'_ shag they originally began. He was now worshiping her body with artistic skill and she was in heaven.

His lips and tongue mapped out every square inch of exposed flesh as he continued his descent down her body. He placed another open mouth kiss right above the waistband of her knickers, before slipping his thumbs under the sides of the sheer purple material and dragging them slowly down her shapely legs and tossing them behind him. His nostrils flared as the scent of her arousal washed over him and his eyes grew even darker than before. His hands slid up her legs slowly, moving to her inner thighs and spreading her for him. "You're perfect." he said, leaning in for his first taste.

"Oh my god!" Rose cried out as her hips shot up from the bed. The Doctor chuckled lightly, gently pressing down her thighs to hold her in place as he continued his ministrations. She clenched the duvet tightly in her fists and threw her head back against the mattress as his tongue began to drive her to the peaks of ecstasy. Even though she occasionally teased him for it, she had always secretly found The Doctor's oral fixation to be quite a turn on. Now being the subject of this particular talent, never again would she be able to watch him lick and taste things without bringing the sensations she was currently experiencing to mind.

As his clever tongue delved further between her folds, he added a finger; curling it just so and she cried out, grasping the back of his head for purchase. He smiled against her, adding a second finger and setting up a rhythm while rubbing gentle circles against her clit with his thumb. Rose began to feel that familiar coiling in the pit of her stomach and gave a keening sound in the back of her throat as the sensation built, and when he ran the tip of his tongue against her sensitive bundle of nerves, she called out his name as waves of pleasure crashed over her.

He continued to lap at her folds as he coaxed her down from her high. Pulling back with a grin, his eyes locked on hers. "Liked that, did you?"

"Oh, yes." She breathed out. "I will never, _ever_, make fun of you for licking things again."

"Well, I would have to say out of the many things I've licked, you are by far the best tasting Rose Tyler." He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her inner thigh.

She smiled, pulling him up into a passionate snog; and tasting herself on his lips. Her hands ran down his back and along the waistband of his last remaining barrier, slipping underneath and kneading the flesh. He moaned into her mouth and bucked against her in just the right spot, making her gasp.

"Off," she said, pulling at the fabric.

Leaning back he slowly began to remove his boxer-briefs and her jaw dropped as he sprung free from the material. _'Impressive'_ no longer seemed to be an adequate enough description. He was just…Perfection.

"Wow," she breathed out. When her eyes drifted back up to his face, he was smiling a Cheshire grin. "I take it you approve then?"

"Oh, definitely." She nodded; unconsciously licking her lips. As he dropped the garment to the floor, she reached out, lightly running her fingers along his length from base to tip.

He hissed in pleasure as she wrapped her hand around his erection, stroking lightly and running her thumb across the head. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back, pressing his tongue against the back of his front teeth. After a few more strokes, he reached down to still her movements. "Later," he promised, when she gave a small pout. "Right now, I want to make love to you."

He kissed his way back up her body and brushed a lock of hair from her face as he cradled himself between her thighs. Reaching down with one hand he lined himself up at her entrance, gently easing the tip through her folds as he slowly began to push into her, inch by inch; allowing her to adjust to his size. He paused for a moment, looking into her eyes and she gave her silent permission for him to continue. Taking her mouth again, he slipped his tongue inside just as he simultaneously pushed forward; sheathing himself fully within her and she almost came right then from the double sensation. He pulled out until only the head was in, and then pushed forward ever so slowly as their mouths dropped open and they moaned in unison.

Rose wrapped her legs around The Doctor's waist as he began to move in long languorous strokes. He kissed her deeply, mimicking his thrusts with his tongue as he slowly ran his hand from her knee to her hip and back again, every so often moving up to softly squeeze her arse.

Her hands clutched at The Doctor's shoulders, running her nails down his back to grasp and squeeze his arse as well, before moving back up to run through his hair. The feel of his tongue against hers and his cock stretching her deliciously heightened her pleasure tenfold.

"You feel so good," she gasped as he changed the angle hitting a particularly sensitive spot.

"So do you." he breathed out. "So wet, so tight. You feel so good around me." He said trailing kisses down her neck again.

"S' like we're a perfect fit." She agreed, tilting her head back to give him better access.

"Oh yes," he whispered huskily; moving back up to nibble her ear. "This body was made for you Rose, in every way imaginable." He punctuated with a thrust.

"Mmmm, weren't you jus'." She replied arching into him.

As he continued to move within her, he began speaking softly into her ear. Since the language was not translated by the TARDIS, she could only assume he was speaking in Gallifreyan. The words were almost melodic in nature, and although she couldn't understand them, they were beautiful just the same. She loved that he was a talker in bed, and even more so when he; having switched back to English, began to whisper promises of all the things the night still held.

His warm breath against her ear and the timber in his voice as he described in detail what he wanted to do to her, helped fan the flames as she spiraled closer and closer to release making her clutch tightly to his shoulders.

Feeling her nearing completion, he pulled back; taking in every detail. Her golden hair fanned out around her like a halo, the way she bit down on her bottom lip as she moaned, the fluttering of her dark lashes as brought her closer and closer to ecstasy. He wanted to memorize every detail, but most of all he wanted to look in her eyes as she came undone.

"Look at me Rose." He said softly.

She opened her eyes and looked into the warm brown depths that housed all of time and space as well as a never ending war of waging emotions, but what she saw reflected there at that moment was love. Pure, raw, and unabashed love. "Come for me Rose." He said; eyes burning into hers and it sent her over the edge.

"Doctor!" she cried out as she shattered around him.

His name on her lips and the love he saw reflected back in her own eyes as her inner muscles clenched him tight was enough to send him tumbling after her. "Rose" he gasped as he spilled himself inside of her.

Riding out the waves of pleasure, he continued to place delicate kisses upon her lips as she collected herself.

"Wow. I mean wow that was jus'…" she let out a whoosh of breath. "Wow."

The grin that lit up his face was bordering on smug.

"Oi! Don't go gettin' all full of yourself now." She said giving him a playful slap.

"You're the one who can't stop saying wow." He pointed out, leaning down to nuzzle her nose again.

"You think you're so impressive." she laughed.

"I am so impressive" he said wagging his eyebrows as he began to harden inside her once more.

Her eyes widened and she sucked in a deep breath as she felt a renewed spark of arousal. "How?" she questioned.

"No refractory period." he whispered into her mouth.

"Oh, Doctor." she moaned as he began to move again.

**-oOo-**

Several hours later, they were lying in each other's embrace in the darkness of The Doctor's bedroom. The TARDIS had morphed the ceiling into an image of the night sky, and they stared up at the stars. Rose's head was resting against the Doctor's chest, listening to the dual rhythm of his heartbeats as he ran his fingers lightly up and down her arm.

"S' beautiful." Rose commented.

"Very beautiful." The Doctor agreed; his breath so close that she looked up to find him watching her.

She giggled. "I was talkin' about the sky."

"I wasn't." he brushed a lock of hair from her face.

Her cheeks flushed as she looked into his eyes, and he leaned down to capture her lips. The kiss was soft and sweet, and when they broke apart she had tears in her eyes.

"Rose, what is it?" he asked searching her face.

"S' jus'…I've wanted this, with you for so long. S' all jus' kinda surreal ya know. Like a dream, and I'm afraid of wakin' up."

He brushed a tear from her cheek "I can promise you, it's not a dream and I…I've wanted this for a long time too." He admitted.

"Yeah?" she asked, running fingers along his chest. "How long?"

"Oh, pretty much since big ears and leather." He smiled softly.

"Really?"

"Really." His smile slowly faded as his face grew serious, and the intense look he gave her stole her breath. "I fought my feelings for so long Rose, but I don't want to anymore. I want you to stay with me, like you promised. Because I need you and because…" he swallowed. "Oh Rose, it scares the hell out of me but you have no idea how much I love you."

Her face blossomed into a bright smile. "I love you too, Doctor. So very much."

He smiled back and leaned in to kiss her once more. Pulling back he lightly nuzzled her nose. She yawned softly, resting her chin over his right heart.

"You should get some sleep. I'd imagine you're tired."

"Maybe a little," she yawned again. "Wonder why, Mr. Insatiable." She grinned, tongue in teeth as she lightly poked him in the ribs.

"I didn't hear any complaining earlier." He murmured. "In fact as I recall, you were quite; enthusiastically I might add, begging for more." He wagged his eyebrows.

"Shut up." She giggled, as he pulled her close for another soft kiss.

"G'night Doctor." She whispered, snuggling into his chest as she wrapped her arm around his waist.

"G'night Rose." He said wrapping his arms around her and resting his head atop hers.

**A/N: So that's the first chapter. So far this will be a rewrite of seasons 2,3 and possibly 4, and I'll try to update at least once a week. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Recognizable dialogue from Rise of the Cybermen and Age of Steel. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2 – Parallel Worlds and Moving In**

It had been a little over three weeks since the events with the clockwork droids on the 51st century spaceship, and things had gotten relatively back to normal for the time traveling trio. Mickey soon realized however, that relatively normal was continuously running from things that wanted to kill or eat you. He had found himself enjoying it though; playing the hero, saving worlds. He had finally started to realize why Rose took to all of it the way she did, and why she never wanted to go back to a regular ordinary life. His only quam to all of the traveling so far was how well acquainted both she and The Doctor were with prison cells both on earth and alien planets alike. Mickey got to experience that particular aspect of adventuring first hand thanks to The Doctor's knack for blowing up things, running his gob at the wrong time, or just plain trying to show off. The latter earning them almost a whole week in jail upon arriving on the planet Exxilon, where apparently whipping out a sonic screwdriver in front of a race of aliens that had banned any and all types of advanced technology didn't cross The Doctor's mind as being a bad idea. Still, Mickey had been in much better spirits. He hadn't completely forgiven The Doctor yet for almost abandoning them, but he was attempting to for Rose's sake; even helping him do repair work on the TARDIS.

Although the tension on the timeship had dissipated significantly, both The Doctor and Rose were careful not to be too blatantly obvious about their new relationship in his presence. Mickey already suspected things between them had progressed further than either would let on, and although he still felt a pang of jealous anger towards the alien, he knew that Rose had made her choice a long time ago and if it meant she would be happy, he knew he would have to let her go.

"Mornin' Boss." Mickey said as he came into the kitchen; walking over to the cabinet and grabbing a glass to pour himself some juice.

"Mickey! Mickety-Mick, Mickey boy." The Doctor said cheerfully; holding up a frying pan. "Pancakes?"

"Yeah, sounds good." he glanced around the room for a moment. "Rose still asleep then?"

"Yeah, I think so." The Doctor said, pouring batter into the pan. "She's seemed a little rundown the last few days. Thought maybe she could use a few more hours."

"Maybe she caught a cold from that dingy prison cell we were in." Mickey observed.

"Not likely." The Doctor shook his head. "The TARDIS neutralizes any germs and infections as soon as you step through those doors."

"Alright, well maybe she jus' needs some rest from all the runnin' then."

The Doctor looked thoughtful for a moment. Since the 51st century space ship, they had been leaping into one adventure after another and between the continuous running for their lives and their unfortunate; but short incarceration, Rose had seemed even more tired than normal. _'Maybe a little R&R might be in order.' _he thought to himself. The two of them hadn't had any real alone time since that mind-blowing night, and it was even starting to take a toll on him. He couldn't seem to stop touching her every chance he got, and it took all his willpower not to just push her up against one of the coral struts or the console or even the wall of the jail cell and ravage her until she screamed his name. He grinned to himself as the thought of the perfect resort planet came to mind. It would not only provide plenty of distractions to entertain Mickey, but would allow him and Rose to pursue their own _activities_.

"You ok Boss?" Mickey was waving his hands in front of The Doctor's face to try to get his attention.

"Hmm, oh right! Yes, brilliant actually. Just thought of the perfect place for our next destination Mickey-boy!"

**-oOo-**

Rose awoke slowly, opening one eye to take in her surroundings. She was sprawled across the bed on her stomach, with one arm hanging over the side. Sunlight was pouring through the faux window that the TARDIS provided to give her more of a homey feel as well as a sense of normal earth days and nights. She pulled herself into a sitting position and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Rubbing her face with her hands, she glanced over at her phone and realized she had slept through her alarm. She groaned as she stood up to go into the ensuite. She had been feeling so tired lately, and the extra sleep had only slightly taken the edge off her exhaustion. "Ugh, I hope I'm not coming down with something." She said to her reflection as she examined the dark circles under her eyes in the bathroom mirror. The TARDIS hummed concernedly. "I'll be okay old girl." she patted the ship's wall affectionately. "I jus' need a little more rest. Let's go so see what kinda trouble our boys have gotten up to without me, yeah?"

**-oOo-**

When she walked into the console room, The Doctor was dancing around happily flipping switches while Mickey; who was standing next to the console with his finger on one of the buttons, watched him with an amused grin.

"Well, here's trouble." she said with a smile.

"Rose!" The Doctor was practically beaming.

"Mornin' babe." Mickey said with his own grin.

"So what you boys been up to?" She asked the Doctor as she plopped down onto the jumpseat. "C'mon, share with the rest of the class."

"Well, while you were getting your beauty sleep Miss Tyler," he swept his eyes down her body and she blushed. "I figured out just the place for us to go today." He flipped another lever. "Kataa Flo Ko." he announced. "Oh, beautiful planet. Quite the tropical paradise actually. Crystal clear waters against orange sand and Diamond Coral Reefs, Rose. You're going to love it. A bit of rest and relaxation is just what we need. Maybe even a few…not _too_ strenuous activities as well." He said in a lowered voice, giving her a wink.

She smiled and blushed again. "You sure we're gonna end up in the right place this time?"

"Of course!" he puffed out his chest. "I always get us to where we need to go."

Mickey snorted softly, but kept his mouth shut.

"Really?" she countered. "The last time you tried to take me somewhere relaxin', we ended up on that planet that you said helped inspire L. Frank Baum, remember?"

"Oh, right." he tilted his head back; nodding at the ceiling and jamming his hands into his pockets. "The flying monkeys."

"Yeah, I didn't particularly like bein' swept up by those things the minute we walked out the door."

"True, but it was quite an adventure in itself. We got to see a bit of the kingdom that no one else usually gets to see."

"And what about the so called 'witch' that turned out to be a giant gastropod; which are not affected by water by the way."

"Weeell, Frank did take a few liberties in his story." The Doctor laughed as he sat down beside her on the jumpseat."Oh, and that weird munchkin lady with the big eye. Do you remember the way she looked at you? And then she opens her mouth and fire comes out."

Rose was laughing and nodding vigorously. "I thought I was gonna get frazzled."

"Yeah, one minute she's just standing there, and the next minute…"

"Rooooar" they growled simultaneously; making a mouth gesture with their hands and laughing giddily.

"Where was that then? What happened?" Mickey looked between them, trying to remind them he was still there. Sometimes it frustrated him that they could still get wrapped up in their own little world and make him feel like the proverbial third wheel. He was starting to feel slightly perturbed as he watched The Doctor shift closer to Rose, and drape his arm across the seat behind her, while Rose absentmindedly chewed her thumbnail.

"Oh it was on this um…" The Doctor gestured behind him with his thumb and shook his head. "Um, this uh, planet thing…asteroid. It's a long story, you had to be there." The Doctor regarded Mickey for a moment, his eyes shifting from his face to the finger he was currently using to hold down a button on the console and back again. "Um, what are you doing that for?" he asked confusedly.

"Cause you told me to."

"When was that?"

Mickey blinked. "'Bout half an hour ago."

"Um," The Doctor was fighting to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching. "You can let go now." Rose giggled softly.

"Well how long's it been since I could'a stopped?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Ten minutes…twenty…twenty-nine." the last number said in a slightly higher tone.

Mickey looked at him incredulously. "You jus' forgot me!"

Rose stayed silent, but watched the Doctor with an amused grin as he began to sputter an explanation.

"No, no, no," The Doctor denied. "I was just…I was…" he paused. "I was calibrating." he nodded, more so in reassurance to himself. "I was just…no, I know exactly what I'm doing."

As if on cue, the universe seemed to choose that moment to disagree with the Time Lord. There was an immediate explosion from the console, knocking the trio onto the floor as the TARDIS spiraled out of control; dropping out of the Vortex. The Doctor wrapped his arm around Rose's waist and pulled her up with him as he started twisting levers.

"What's happened?" Rose asked in a frightened tone.

"The Time Vortex…it's gone." he said in disbelief. "That's impossible! It's just gone!" The TARDIS shuttered around them as it plummeted from the sky. "Brace yourself, we're gonna crash!" he yelled out; pulling Rose into his arms.

The impact once again threw them to the ground, and Rose let out a tiny yelp of fear. Mickey grabbed onto one of the railings to keep from rolling down the ramp as debris began to fall from the ceiling and smoke shot out of the Time Rotor.

"Everyone all right?" The Doctor asked. He looked down at Rose, who was still wrapped in his arms and brushed the hair back from her forehead; checking for injuries. "Rose?" he said concernedly.

"M' ok." she reached up and stroked his cheek before lightly brushing her lips against his.

He smiled, giving her another quick peck. Looking over his shoulder he called out, "Mickey?"

"I'm fine, I'm ok."

The Doctor stood up, pulling Rose with him as he stared up at the Time Rotor. "She's dead," he said softly. "The TARDIS is dead…" his voice choked on the last word.

Rose squeezed his hand gently. "You can fix it." she tried to reassure him.

He shook his head. "There's nothing to fix…" he pressed a few buttons trying to get any sort of reaction. "She's perished… the last TARDIS in the universe."

Rose pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back soothingly.

"I don't even know where we are." he said pulling away to look up at the Time Rotor. "We fell out of the Vortex and through the void into nothingness." He placed his hands on the console and leaned forward as his mind drifted. "We're in some sort of 'no place', a silent realm…a lost dimension."

"Otherwise known as London." Mickey called over his shoulder; chuckling.

The Doctor's head snapped up to see the young man standing with the door slightly ajar; grinning back at him and then exiting the ship. He looked over at Rose who gave him a wide-eyed look before taking his hand as he lead her outside to where Mickey was standing and perusing a newspaper.

"London, Earth. First of February this year." he called out to them; grinning smugly.

"Um, Doctor?" Rose said softly; staring up at the sky in awe.

His eyes followed her gaze and he raised an eyebrow. "So this is London?" The Doctor directed his question towards the younger man.

"Yep." Mickey replied not bothering to look back at him.

"Your city?"

"That's the one."

"Just as we left it?"

"Bang on." He continued to be oblivious to The Doctor's attempts of getting his full attention, and Rose shook her head.

Realizing he wasn't getting anywhere, The Doctor sighed and finally pointed out the obvious. "And that includes the Zeppelins?"

Mickey finally looked up from the paper, eyes focusing on the Doctor with a confused expression before drifting up to the sky. "What the hell?" he said; mouth agape.

"This is not your world." The Doctor replied grimly.

"Then where are we?" Rose asked, looking up at him.

"Wait, I know. It's parallel right?" Mickey asked suddenly. "Am I right? I am aren't I?"

"Must be." The Doctor was starting to get a bad feeling.

Rose was confused. "So…parallel world where...?"

"Oh c'mon." Mickey interrupted. "You've seen it on films; like an alternative to our world where everythin's the same but a lil' bit different like…I dunno…traffic lights are blue, Tony Blair never got elected…"

"And he's still alive." Rose breathed out; eyes fixated on a motion activated advertisement as she began to walk towards it. "Parallel world and my dad's still alive."

The Doctor's gaze followed her own, and his face fell. '_Gingerbread house.'_ he thought to himself and groaned inwardly. In two quick strides, he was next to her again. "Rose, don't look at it." he said grasping her shoulders and turning her to look him in the eyes. "This is not your world. He is not your Pete." He grasped her hand and began pulling her away, walking swiftly back towards the TARDIS with Mickey in tow.

"But Doctor…" she tried to reason when they came back through the doors.

"Rose," he grasped both her hands in his. "I need you to trust me. For all we know, he has own Jackie, his own Rose. You can't see him, not ever."

She nodded slowly; her face falling. He let go of Rose's hands and wrapped her in his arms, resting his head atop hers. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but we can't risk it. But I promise you, we'll figure something out. We'll find a way home." he murmured.

"How'd we even get here in the first place?" Mickey asked, leaning against the railing.

The Doctor let go of Rose and ran a hand over his face. "I dunno…accident. It should have been impossible…" his voice drifted off as he leaned forward focusing his eyes on the grating underneath the Time Rotor. "What's that?"

"What?" Mickey asked, following his eyes.

"That, there." he was pointing now. "Is that a reflection?" Both men moved closer to get a better look.

"It's a light?" The Doctor was becoming excited. "Is it? Is that a light?"

Rose chewed her bottom lip; watching in anticipation as the two men began to pull up the grating.

"I think that's a light. That's all we need." The Doctor was practically giddy. "We've got power! Hah!" he shouted, jumping down into the open space.

Rose moved to kneel down next to the open hole in the floor as he began tossing up bits of wiring and pieces of circuitry before finally emerging with a glowing green crystal in his hand.

Mickey stared at the item in wonder. "Is that enough power to get us home then?"

"Not yet." The Doctor replied. "I need to charge it up."

"We could go outside and latch it to the National grid." The younger man suggested.

"Wrong sort of energy. Gotta come from our universe."

"But we don't have any of that." Rose reminded him.

"There's me." he wagged his eyebrows at her, as he lifted the crystal to his lips and exhaled a deep breath upon it, making the glow increase exponentially. "I just gave away ten years of my life." he grinned. "Worth every second."

"You what!" Rose yelled incredulously.

The Doctor was taken aback momentarily by the look on her face. "Rose, it was necessary. I…"

"I can't believe you did that." She stood up, and put her hands on her hips. "You're constantly talkin' bout how short my life is, and here your jus' givin' yours away?" she crossed her arms tightly across her chest and turned away from him, trying to hold back the tears.

Mickey extended a hand to The Doctor as he climbed out of the hole. He nodded in thanks handing him the crystal and walked over to Rose; turning her to face him once more.

"Rose," he said softly. "Hey, look at me." He reached up; placing two fingers under her chin and lifted her head so that her eyes would meet his. "I'm sorry, but I had to. It's the only way to get us home."

She nodded. "I know 'S jus'… 'M sorry. I dunno what's wrong with me today. Jus' tired I guess."

He gave her a soft smile that she returned before Mickey's voice broke the silence.

"It's goin' out is that ok?"

"Hmm?" The Doctor turned to look down at the crystal in the young man's hand. "Oh, yeah. It's on a recharging cycle. It'll loop around, power back up and be ready to take us home in…ooh," He turned back to Rose. "Twenty-four hours." He grinned; pulling her into his arms and kissing her breathless.

When he broke the kiss, Rose's mouth remained slightly parted in surprise. It was the first time he had actually displayed that type of affection in front of an audience and as the blush crept up her cheeks, she wasn't quite sure how to react.

Mickey looked away uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "So that gives us twenty-four hours in a parallel world?"

"Shore leave," The Doctor nodded. "As long as we keep our heads down, no problem."

It seemed to be the universe's day to prove him wrong.

**-oOo-**

Rose had been exceptionally quiet after they left the parallel world. A few moments after they found a way to get home, her phone had connected to the main cell network. Learning that she didn't exist in that world, and finding out that her parallel dad was a major player in the Cybus Industry company that seemed to have control over everything, the Doctor agreed to let her see him; but only incognito. While Mickey set off on his own adventure, The Doctor and Rose were once again thrown into the middle of a sinister plot for world domination involving a nightmare from The Doctor's past in the form of the Cybermen. With a ragtag group including the parallel versions of Rose's dad and Mickey; who went by the name Rickey to The Doctor's amusement; along with his companions, they were able to defeat the Cyber Controller but not without losses on both sides.

Within the span of a day, Rose had seen her parallel mother be cybernized, her parallel father reject her when he couldn't handle finding out who she was, and then to top it off, she had to say goodbye to Mickey, who chose to stay behind for his Gran, taking Rickey's place after his death and helping to continue to take down the cyber factories. He had explained to her that she no longer needed him now that she had The Doctor, and that he felt finally felt needed and would be able to move on with his life. Finding out she would never be able to see him again just about broke her. All of that added to the fact that she had been under the weather for the last few days had the Doctor extremely worried. She had allowed him to comfort her for a little while when she came back to the TARDIS, and then disappeared to her room saying that she needed to lie down for a little while.

The Doctor hated feeling so helpless. He stood staring blankly at the console as he was trying to come up with some way to make her feel better. He thought about making another attempt to go to Kataa Flo Ko, but he wasn't sure if she would able to enjoy it as much with her illness looming over her. Her being sick bothered him as well. He wondered if they should maybe make a pit stop to New Earth and pick up a cure. At least that way she could be healthy so he could work on getting her to smile again. Oh how he loved that smile and he was going to do whatever it took to put it back on her beautiful face.

He looked around the room at the strewn bits and bobs and the upturned grating and rubbed his hands over his face. He was definitely going to have to do some repair work. Maybe he could take Rose to see her mother. He knew Jackie would love a visit, and that after everything Rose had been through, it would help by reassuring her that her real mother was still alive and well. Although he and Jackie had never really seen eye to eye when they first met in his last regeneration; even earning the famous Tyler slap for miscalculating and landing Rose back home after a year's time instead of the twelve hours he had originally promised, he was grateful that Rose had her to turn to in times of crisis. He knew they wouldn't be able to put off telling Jackie about Mickey, and he figured Rose would want to be the one to tell her. By taking her home for a little while; as long as it was only a little while, he could give them some mother daughter time as well as allowing her to get some much needed rest while he did his repairs.

"What do you think old girl, a quick visit to The Powell Estates?" he asked, patting the console.

The TARDIS hummed in agreement. Smiling to himself, he set off to Rose's room to share his idea.

**-oOo-**

After knocking at her bedroom door for a few minutes and receiving no response, the doctor tried the doorknob. She never locked it and he usually wasn't the type to knock before entering anyway, but after the day she had, he wanted to give her any amount of space she needed; even though it was killing him not to have her in his arms.

"Rose?" He poked his head into the room before stepping in fully. The lights were on, but her bed was empty and the door to the ensuite was shut. Thinking she might be taking a bath and as tempted as he was to join her, he decided he would give her a little more time and come back later. Just as he was about to leave the room, he heard a muffled wretching sound.

"Rose," The Doctor said softly tapping on the door of the ensuite.

"Don't come in here." She groaned.

"Are you ok?"

"Considerin' I jus' watched a replay of '_This is your Life'_ for everythin' I seem to have eaten in the last week? Yeah, not so much."

"You didn't eat any of that shrimp at the Vitex party did you? I told it you it looked a bit dodgy."

"No, at least I don't think so. I think it might be stomach flu."

The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced. "We could make a stop at New Earth and pick up an antidote."

"No." she said quickly; followed by a sigh. "Sorry, S' jus'… M' not anxious to step foot back in that hospital anytime soon. I'll be fine. I jus' need some rest and maybe a good cuppa once my stomach settles down."

"Ok, if that's what you want. I was just thinking though. After everything that happened, maybe you might want to see your mom for a bit. I've got some repair work to do on the TARDIS anyway so I figured I could drop you at your mom's and…"

The door opened a crack revealing Rose's flushed face. "You're not gonna leave are you?"

Her tone was so pitiful and she looked extremely pale. As he looked into her eyes, he could see the fear written upon them clearly. After everything that had happened, she was terrified he was going to leave her too.

"No," he said firmly looking into her eyes. "I'm not leaving you. I'm going to park the TARDIS where I always do, and I figured you could spend some time with your mother while I fix the damage caused by the explosion."

"Alright." she said slowly. "I really do want to see mum."

"It's settled then. We'll go first thing in the morning, but for now I want you to get some rest."

"Ok," she nodded. "I jus' need to get cleaned up a bit first." She retreated back into the ensuite and shut the door.

The Doctor ran his hands through his hair. She had looked so pale and small as she stood there talking to him, and all he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms and reassure her that everything would be alright. He knew that Mickey would always mean a lot to Rose, and that she was blaming herself for his departure. She hadn't wanted to rub their relationship in his face so they had been relatively chaste with one another in his presence; even remaining in separate rooms. '_Maybe it's time that changed.'_ he mused to himself. It wasn't that he was happy that Mickey was gone; in fact the young man had kind of grown on him in the last year and though he wouldn't really admit it out loud, he was actually going to miss him. But now he would finally be able to have Rose all to himself and he wasn't going to waste any more time. He consciously made his decision and sat down on her bed to wait.

**-oOo-**

After she showered and brushed her teeth, she changed into a light blue t-shirt and a pair of sleep shorts and padded back out into the bedroom to find The Doctor still waiting for her.

She quickly replaced her startled look with a smile. "I figured you'd be off tinkerin' by now."

Without a word he got up from the bed walked over and swept her up into his arms.

Rose giggled softly as he began carrying her out of the room. "Where we goin'?"

"Our room." He replied as if it was clearly obvious. The door across from hers opened automatically and he stepped through.

Rose felt her stomach give a joyful flip. "You askin' me to move in with ya?" she smiled; tightening her hold around his neck as she watched his face carefully in anticipation of his response.

"That okay?" He asked, looking into her eyes with sincerity as he walked across the room and gently lowered her onto the bed.

"Yeah." She nodded as he lay down beside her; pulling her into his arms.

"Good." He grinned kissing her softly.

"Yep." She smiled back snuggling into him further and laying her head against his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her and placed another kiss to the top of her head; the steady double beating of his hearts lulling her to sleep quickly. He lay there for a while, just listening to her soft breaths and smiled as a wave of contentment washed over him. Closing his eyes, he found himself drifting off into a peaceful slumber as well.

**A/N: Reviews are welcome. Thanks for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: In this chapter The Doctor has some reflections on Mickey and we get to the bottom of Rose's illness. A teeny tiny bit of recognizable dialogue from the Age of Steel.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3 - Unexpected<strong>

Jackie Tyler was in the kitchen filling up a pitcher when she heard the sound of the TARDIS materializing within the flat. Setting the pitcher down on the counter she ran out into the living room; a smile spreading across her face at the sight of the big blue box.

Rose flung open the door and stood motionless for a moment, staring at her mother in awe. "You're alive?" she said in disbelief. "Oh mum, you're alive." she said as she threw herself into her mother's arms.

Jackie's happy expression quickly faded into one of confusion. "Well I was the las' time I looked." she chuckled softly. Her concern growing as Rose gripped her tighter. "What is it? What's happened sweetheart?" she asked rubbing her daughter's back as she clung to her. "What's wrong? Where did you go?" She was now directing her questions to The Doctor as she looked over Rose's shoulder.

He was leaning up against the wooden doors looking exhausted. "Far away." he replied softly. "That was…far away."

"Where's Mickey?"

"He's gone home."

At The Doctor's statement, Rose buried her face into her mother's shoulder; gripping her tighter. Jackie reached up to stroke her daughter's hair, noticing how warm she was when she touched the back of her head. Pulling back she cupped Rose's face in her hands. "Oh sweetheart, you're burnin' up." She turned back to The Doctor. "What happened? This isn't some sort'a alien virus is it?"

"No mum," Rose interjected. "I think 'S jus' a case of stomach flu, that's all."

"Thought you said you had access to all them new age medicines?"

The Doctor held up his hands. "I wanted to take her back to New Earth for a cure, but she wouldn't go."

"Oh Rose. Sweetheart, if it would make ya feel better…"

"No. 'S jus'… I didn't really like that hospital, and M' already feelin' better. I jus' need some rest." She looked up at their concerned expressions. "Really M' fine. Jus' need a kip and I'll be good to go, yeah? So the two of you stop your worryin'."

Jackie sighed and slumped her shoulders. "Fine, but M' still gonna make a run to the market and pick up somethin' to help your stomach, and maybe somethin' light for you to eat. So you have your nap, and when you get up, I'll fix ya somethin' alright?"

"Sounds great mum."

Jackie nodded and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading off to her bedroom to retrieve her handbag.

The Doctor walked up and slipped his hand into Rose's. "You sure you're alright?"

"M' fine." She let go of his hand to place both of hers on his chest. "I promise." She assured him when she saw the look of doubt in his eyes.

He wrapped his arms around her waist; pulling her tightly against him. "I just want to make sure you're okay." He nuzzled her nose with his. "I'm very fond of you, you know?"

"Yeah?" she grinned; encircling her arms around his neck.

"Oh yes." He said softly, as he pressed his lips to hers.

Jackie had to admit she was startled to see The Doctor snogging her daughter in the middle of the living room, but she wasn't surprised; not in the slightest. At that moment however, she was at war with her conflicting emotions. On one hand, she could pretend she hadn't seen anything and go back to her room for a few minutes; allowing them to compose themselves before she 'conveniently' announced that she was coming back, or she could interrupt them, start the interrogations and demand to know just what that daft alien's intentions were with her daughter. But standing there watching them and seeing how exhausted Rose looked as he held her close, at the last minute she opted for stepping back into the hallway out of sight.

"Ok Rose," Jackie called loudly to give the pair a chance to separate before she walked back into the room. "M' headin' out," She said slipping her handbag over her shoulder. "Is there anythin' else you need?"

"Thanks mum, but I think M' good."

The Doctor stepped forward and placed a hand on Rose's shoulder. "I'm going to move the TARDIS down into the alleyway where we normally park her, so if you need me for anything, just call."

She placed her hand on top of his and gave it a squeeze. "I will." She smiled.

The Doctor returned her smile and gave a quick nod to Jackie before turning and heading back into the TARDIS.

Both women watched as the TARDIS disappeared before them, and within a few seconds they heard the wheezing sounds once more as it materialized out in the alley.

Turning to her daughter, Jackie crossed her arms. "So are the pair of ya together proper now?"

Rose began fiddling with one of her hoop earrings. "What do you mean mum?" she feigned ignorance.

"Oh don't give me that. I saw the two of ya snoggin' out here a few minutes ago."

Rose's face turned a deep crimson shade and she began to fidget; not meeting her mother's eyes. "S' hard to explain."

"Always is with you two." Jackie commented dryly.

"I was gonna tell you." Rose tried to reassure her. "M' sorry. S' not the way I wanted you to find out." She sighed and put a hand to her temple.

Her mother eyed her carefully, and then her expression softened; choosing to put the conversation off for later. "You look exhausted. Have you been sleepin' at all?"

"Yeah, more than normal actually. But I still feel tired when I get up. I jus' need to get over this flu an' I'll be fine."

"So how long have you been feelin' ill? Jackie asked.

"A couple weeks I guess." She shrugged. "More rundown than anything?"

"And when was the last time you ate?"

"Well, I haven't really been able to keep much down in the last couple of days. Jus' been sick to my stomach an' all."

Jackie nodded and looked over her daughter carefully. "Ok, M' gonna head out to the market an' pick up a few things, and while M' gone I want you to lie down for a bit. You're practically dead on your feet, and I want you to get some rest."

"Okay mum," she said, knowing better than to argue. "See you in a bit." Rose leaned down and kissed her cheek before heading off to her bedroom.

Jackie watched with a slight frown as her daughter left the room. Something was definitely off with her. She seemed extremely upset when Mickey's name had been mentioned; which would be something else they would need to discuss later, and she now also seemed to be in a relationship with The Doctor. It was clear that something happened on their last adventure that clearly affected Rose, but there was also another underlying element. As the possibilities ran through her mind, one kept pushing itself to the forefront, and armed with that thought she picked up her keys from the table and headed out of the flat.

**-oOo-**

The Doctor was still in the same position he had been when he landed the TARDIS fifteen minutes ago. He was leaning back in the jumpseat; arms crossed, with his feet propped up on the console. He knew he should probably get started on the repair work, but he hadn't yet motivated himself to do so. He kept thinking about everything that had happened over the last few weeks, but mostly he was worried about Rose. Their relationship was still relatively new, but he had asked her to share his bedroom last night. At the time, she seemed happy about it, but now he was wondering if maybe she thought he was only doing it because of what happened in the parallel world. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable by moving too fast. Then there was her illness. He knew she had deep aversions to the hospital on New Earth after the whole ordeal with that loud-mouthed flap of skin Cassandra, but he really wished she would have let him pick up a cure so that at least her body could be healthy. That combined with her grief over Mickey's departure were putting too much stress on her.

Mickey…that was unexpected to say the least. He definitely hadn't always treated the young man very well, making him the butt of jokes and comparing him to a tin dog. He supposed that it had everything to do with the jealousy he had felt towards his relationship with Rose. Although they had broken up, they still had a strong friendship and it bothered The Doctor to no end when she would turn to the younger man for advice or when they started to reminisce about the past. He always wanted to one-up him by taking Rose to some lavish planet or try to show that he knew her better than Mickey ever could. Looking back on those times, he realized he had been a complete arse. Always trying to dominate himself as the better man for Rose, yet it took him a regeneration and a brief glimpse of his possible future on a 51st century spaceship to finally admit his love to her. Mickey had always seen it though; even calling him out on it a few times, and although The Doctor had basically come in and swept Rose away from him, he still lent a hand when needed and became a reliable resource. His computer expertise had helped thwart the Slitheen's plan to destroy the Earth, he crashed a car through a school full of Krillitane's to help free all the children before they blew it up, he protected Rose from the clockwork droids while The Doctor was trapped in France, and most recently saved them from being blown up in a cyber-factory. He was truly more extraordinary than The Doctor gave him credit for, and now he was gone.

The Doctor sighed as he stood up and rubbed his hands over his face. He wondered if maybe deep down, Rose blamed him a little for that too. He knew she'd never say it, but maybe if he had treated the young man better he wouldn't have left. Mickey had pulled him aside after their rescue in the parallel world and gave him a good talking to about protecting Rose. He supposed looking back on it now, he should have known Mickey was leaving by the tone of his conversation and maybe if he had realized that then he might have been able to talk him out of it. But instead, he chalked it up to the young man finally accepting The Doctor and Rose's relationship; even giving his blessing in hopes they would be happy. There was no doubt in The Doctor's mind that at that moment, Mickey had been the better man. He just hoped that one day Rose could forgive him for driving her best friend away. Sighing once more, he pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and began climbing underneath the console to start the repairs.

**-oOo-**

"Rose…Rose sweetheart, wake up."

"Mmm," Rose mumbled rubbing her eyes. "Mum?"

"Yeah, S' me. I jus' got back."

Rose sat up and yawned. "What time is it?"

"S' a little after ten. I bought you some foods that should be easy on your stomach. But first," she handed rose a small paper bag.

"What's this then?" she said smiling as she opened the bag. "A present to make feel better or…" as she peered inside the color drained out of her face.

"The firs' one's not always accurate, so you'll need to use both."

"Mum, that's not,…S' ridiculous really, I mean we can't even…S' not possible without…"

Jackie put her hand up, effectively silencing her daughter. "If that's true then you 'ave nothin' to worry 'bout. So jus' humor me ok?" she patted her daughter's arm as she stood up from the bed. "Now, m' gonna go put the kettle on. You finish up with those," she nodded to the bag. "And then meet me in the kitchen." Jackie left the room, leaving her daughter sitting in stunned silence.

She couldn't tell whether or not the fact that her mother wasn't freaking out was a good thing or a bad thing. Rose tried to slow her breathing as she lifted one of the pink and blue boxes from the bag with a shaky hand. "S' not possible." she told herself out loud. They were compatible he had said, but not without help. Her mother was wrong. She'd take the tests and then Jackie would see." "S' jus' stomach flu." she told herself again as she stepped into the ensuite. "She's wrong."

**-oOo-**

Rose was sitting on the edge of her bed, clutching her cell phone in a vice-like grip as millions of thoughts ran through her mind when the alarm rang; startling her and almost knocking her onto the floor. She walked into the ensuite on shaky legs taking deep breaths. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as she lifted one of the tests from the sink and then opened them. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and that was how Jackie found her ten minutes later; still in the same position, facing away from her; back stiff, as she stared at the object in her hand.

"Rose?" her mother said gently.

When Rose finally turned to face her, she had tears streaming down her face. "Oh mum." she choked out.

"Oh sweetheart," Jackie soothed; pulling her daughter into her arms and rocking her. "S' gonna be alright Rose. We'll figure something' out, M' so sorry. Oh, I could kill that man! I knew this would happen eventually. The pair of ya' shaggin' in that box like rabbits."

"No mum," she groaned. "S' never been like that. We've only been together once."

Jackie's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "One time? You s'pect me to believe that with the way you two are constantly all over each other and gigglin', even before himself changed into a pretty boy?"

Rose sighed. "S' true mum. One time, 'bout three weeks ago."

"Well, one time is all it takes. He mus' 'ave some stamina that one."

"Mum!" she said mortified.

"I'm jus' sayin'. Were you usin' protection?"

Rose looked away guiltily.

"Oh Rose…" Jackie was shaking her head. "I know 'bout all those lines that are said in the heat of the moment 'bout how _'it doesn't feel as good'_ or _'I can pull out at the las' minute'_, but they're jus' lines sweetheart and himself should 'a known better. Alien or not, he's still a man"

"No mum, S' not his fault." Jackie started to open her mouth again, but Rose beat her to it. "Before you go gettin' all mad at him, there's some things you should know first."

Her mother sighed heavily. "Alright, I'll make us a cuppa and we can talk."

"Ok," Rose agreed with a small smile and followed her mother out into the kitchen.

**-oOo-**

"Looks like himself will busy enough with that space box of his for us to 'ave a descent chat then." Jackie mused as she set a mug down in front of her daughter before sitting down to join her with one of her own. "So spill."

"Well, first off S' not all his fault. I gotta share the blame in this too. But you gotta know mum, he didn't think this was even a possibility. See, his people didn't exactly procreate like we do."

"Oh god, you're not gonna lay an egg or somethin' are you?" Jackie gasped.

"What? No, mum. I mean…ok, s' kinda like test tubes. They had these machines called looms that were kinda like a cloning device that took DNA from both parents."

"So they didn't actually have live births?"

"No. It was all done on a genetic level."

He mother was shocked. "What, so no shaggin' either?

"Well, most marriages were arranged so there wasn't a big interest in sex. The Doctor said his people used telepathic connections instead."

"So even though his people didn't have sex, you were still compatible? I mean, S' not some weird alien anatomy or tentacles down there?" Jackie inquired.

"Oh my god," Rose put her head in her hands; her cheeks flushing crimson.

"What? S' a valid question."

"No mum, he was…very human-like." she finished quickly. Her mother just shrugged. "Anyway, that's why we didn't think it could happen this way. It wasn't that we were deliberately bein' reckless. We jus' thought it was impossible. Well, not completely, jus' not without genetic help. I mean, I already knew we were gonna have a child, so…"

"What'ya mean you already knew?" Jackie interrupted.

Rose took a deep breath. "Cause I met her."

"Her? What'ya mean Her? Her who?"

"Your granddaughter." she said softly.

Jackie's eyes widened. "My… but…" she sputtered. "Oh, this whole bloody time travel business of yours is so confusin'. How's that even possible, you met her?"

"S' kind of a long story."

"You got somewhere else to be?" her mother raised an eyebrow.

Rose didn't particularly want to fill her mother in on everything that happened involving the clockwork droids, Madame du Pompadour, and her short abandonment on the 51st century space ship, so she decided to give her the slightly abridged version.

"The Doctor and I had a sort' a disagreement that we were havin' trouble movin' past."

"In other words he was bein' a stubborn git." her mother supplied.

"Well, yeah…and then she jus' sort'a showed up to like talk some sense into him." she paused for a moment; furrowing her brow. "Ok, S' kinda like in that movie Back to the Future, when Marty had to try to get his parents back together. At least that's what it seemed like. She was adamant about us gettin' together even before I knew who she was."

Jackie continued to shake her head in disbelief. Rose had told her plenty of stories about her trips with The Doctor, but this certainly beat most of those by mile. First she goes back to the past to meet her dad, now she's meeting her child before it's even born.

Rose reached out and gave her mother's hand a gentle squeeze in reassurance. "She's beautiful mum. Red hair, hazel eyes, and so very clever. You're gonna love her."

"And you're sure without a doubt that's who she was?"

Rose nodded. "Isn't that part of some sort' a motherly instinct? To jus'…know?"

She was thinking back to when The Doctor; in his ninth incarnation, had taken her to the past to be with her dad when he died. Her mother at the time had been relatively cold towards her, thinking that she was some sort of home wrecker moving in on her husband, but when Pete told Jackie that she was 'their' Rose, one look in her eyes and her mother knew it as fact.

"Cause deep down, I jus' knew. Like I'd already seen it."

Jackie smiled fondly at her daughter. "S' a bond that mother's form with their children. They'd know 'em anywhere." she patted Rose's hand before returning it to her mug. "So The Doctor wasn't freaked out 'bout meetin' his own daughter then?" she asked taking a sip of her tea.

"Um, not exactly. He…" Rose bit her bottom lip. "He doesn't know she was his daughter."

Her mother choked on her mouthful of liquid. "You didn't tell him?"

"He's always saying' no one should know too much about their own future. 'Cause, he can see timelines and all yeah, but he doesn't like to look too far ahead 'cause he hates endings." she sighed. "He finally admitted he loved me mum." Jackie's jaw dropped. "Yeah," she nodded. "And I thought that he might not believe me, or worse that he'd get scared and close down again. He doesn't like to think about that kinda stuff, 'cause he doesn't think he can have it. He doesn't think he deserves it." She leaned back in her chair absently fiddling with her own mug. "He's always blamin' himself for everything that goes wrong, and he carries the weight of worlds. Not to mention he's constantly worryin' about how much time we'll have. That was the reason for him not wantin' to do this in the first place. He told me he couldn't give me a proper life with a house and kids. And I tried to tell him that it didn't matter because he was enough for me. But he jus' kept sayin' our time was short and eventually he would be alone again. He basically said it wasn't worth the pain.

"Take it from someone who knows sweetheart, no matter how short' a time you've got, S' worth it. Love's worth it. You make the most of what you got while you got it." her mother said; voice tight with emotion.

"You still miss him, yeah?"

"Everyday. And M' so thankful for the time we had. Even with all those daft gimmicks of his."

The memory of her parallel father on the Vitex advertisement flashed in her mind, and she pushed it away. That was not something her mother needed to know about. It had bothered her enough when she told her about being with him when he died.

Jackie brought her back from her thoughts. "So what're you gonna do?"

"I know S' a shock, and maybe…maybe you think S' too soon, but I want it mum. I want a life with him and the baby." she looked down and ran a hand over her stomach. "And at least one day when I'm gone, he'll still have a piece of me with him and he won't be alone." she looked up to see Jackie's eyes shining with tears. "What?"

"You've grown up so much. This isn't the life I always thought you'd 'ave, and I still find all this space travel stuff so confusin' but I see how much it means to you, how much _he_ means to you. You even talk like him sometimes you know that?" Rose chuckled softly and nodded. "I know I don't say it enough, but M' proud of you Rose and I only want the best for you. So if he makes you happy, then I give my blessing."

"Thanks mum." Rose said with tears streaming down her cheeks as both women stood up to embrace one another. They stood like that for a moment; Jackie holding her daughter tightly and stroking her hair as the younger woman buried her face into her shoulder.

"M' scared mum." She pulled back and wiped her eyes. "I know I gotta tell him, but M' afraid of how he's gonna react."

"He loves you sweetheart, he'll be so happy. And if he's not, then you jus' march him right on in here and I'll slap some sense into that daft alien git."

Rose snorted softly. "He is afraid of the almighty Jackie Tyler slap. Mickey would always tease him about…" she drifted off and looked down at her hands.

"Rose, what is it? What are you not tellin' me?"

She looked up; taking in her mother's concerned expression and took a deep shuddering breath as she sat back down; not meeting her eyes. "Mum, about Mickey..."

Jackie grasped the kitchen table with one hand; lowering herself back into her own chair as a tightness formed in her chest. "What 'appened to Mickey?" she took a breath and closed her eyes. "Did he..? Is he…? "

Rose looked up quickly. "He's alive mum he's jus…" she took another deep breath and tried to keep the tears from falling. "The Doctor was takin' us to some kind of tropical planet when the TARDIS was thrown off course and we somehow ended up in this parallel world."

"Parallel? You mean like in all those comic book movies he used to talk 'bout where everythin's the same but a lil' bit different? Rose looked at her mother in surprise. "What? Me n' Mickey spend a lot 'a time together while you and you're Doctor are off travelin'."

Rose smile ruefully and continued. "Well, we kinda crashed there and had to wait around for twenty-four hours until the TARDIS was healthy enough to get us back home. But you know us yeah? Magnet for trouble." she paused; choosing to leave out the part where her mother's parallel double had been murdered. "There were these aliens called cybermen that were tryin' to take over that world and we stopped 'em, and Mickey…he was so brave. Oh mum, you would 'a been so proud of him, he saved us all." her voice began to waver. "You remember Mickey's Gran, yeah?"

Jackie nodded thoughtfully. "Great woman she was. Raised him proper."

"Yeah, she did." Rose smiled softly. "Well she was still alive in that world, so…" she choked back a sob. "So Mickey decided to stay there. He wanted to help them continue to take down all the cyber factories."

"So when's he comin' home then?"

"He…he can't."

"What'ya mean he can't!" Jackie shrieked.

"We… we can't ever go back there. We fell through some sort 'a crack in time by accident and when we left, the world sealed itself off." She put her head down as the tears began to flow.

Jackie put a hand over her mouth to stifle her own sobs that were now coming freely.

"S' all my fault he stayed mum. I didn't appreciate him enough. I jus' always expected him to be there and then… I begged him to come home mum, I begged him but he said I didn't need him anymore because I had The Doctor now. I…I know we weren't together anymore, but I should 'a treated him better, 'cause I still care about him and now I can never tell him M' sorry. S' all my fault mum, oh god, S' all my fault." She put her face in her hands and wept uncontrollably.

Jackie pulled her daughter into her arms once more; rocking her. "S' not your fault Rose. Mickey did what he felt was best for him. And yeah, he was mad for a bit when you left again. We both were. But we moved past it, 'cause we both agreed that we'd never seen you happier. An' he still loves you after everythin'; probably always will, but he forgave you a long time ago. This was jus' his way of movin' on with his life." Jackie paused for a moment. "Did he know he couldn't come back?"

Rose nodded against her shoulder, wiping her sleeve against her cheek.

"Then you know S' what he really wanted. We both know Mickey never made any snap decisions without thinkin' 'bout 'em first, and we 'ave to respect that."

Neither of them spoke again for a while. There wasn't really much else to say at the moment, so they both stood there in the silent kitchen; arms wrapped around each other, and mourned their loss.

**-oOo-**

When Rose awoke from her second nap of the day, it was almost dark out. She had been so exhausted after their conversation that her mother had made her lie down; saying too much stress wouldn't be good for the baby and giving her the Jackie Tyler glare that said "I dare you to argue." The clock on her nightstand read a quarter past six, meaning she had been asleep for a little over four hours, but even with the rest she was still feeling the tension of her impending conversation with The Doctor. She still wasn't sure how he was going to react to the news. Since he had always shied away from anything domestic, he never talked about that aspect of his past. She knew he had been in an arranged marriage back when he was still on Gallifrey, so it was possible that he could have had a family then as well. She never pressed him for that type of information because she knew how much the loss of his planet had affected him. There was a remote possibility that he could have lost his entire family in the war. So what did that mean for them now? Would he want this, or would it make him run again? She sighed and rubbed her eyes. All these questions running through her mind were only increasing the tension. No matter what happened, she couldn't keep this from him. He had finally opened his hearts to her. No more secrets. She was going to tell him. Tonight.

Jackie was in the kitchen preparing supper when she came out of her room. "There she is. Did'ya sleep ok sweetheart."

"Yeah, thanks. I really needed that."

"You gotta take better care of yourself now. Make that Doctor of yours take you somewhere relaxin' for a while. Take a break from all this runnin' round."

Rose chuckled. "I will mum." She leaned in and gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek and then grabbed her hoodie off the chair.

"Where you goin'? Supper's almos' ready,"

"I need to tell him mum. I can't wait any longer."

Jackie nodded. "Alright, but I want you both in here firs' thing in the mornin' for breakfast. An' you tell him that's an order."

"I will." she smiled as she zipped up the front of her hoodie and headed out the door."

**-oOo-**

She took her time as she made her way across the parking lot towards the TARDIS. She was running over different scenarios in her head on how things could play out. Scenario one, he could be ecstatic and over the moon and want to start picking out baby names immediately. Scenario two, he could be extremely angry and tell her he doesn't want this; closing himself off again and ultimately ending their relationship. Scenario Three, he would completely freak out, leave her behind with her mother and take off; never to be seen again. She shuddered at the thought of that. He couldn't just leave his child behind could he? But even she had to admit to herself that when he got scared, he was capable of all sorts of things and she still hadn't even figured out how she was going to break the news to him. As she turned her key in the lock of the big blue wooden door, she patted her stomach. "I promised you I wouldn't give up on him or let him push me away, and I intend to keep that promise." Stepping inside, she pushed the door closed softly behind her and walked up the ramp; smiling at the pair of white converses and pinstriped legs sticking out from under the console that greeted her.

"Doctor?" she said softly, as she removed her hoodie and tossed it over the railing.

There was a loud clanging sound followed by a muffled curse, and she could only assume that she had startled him into dropping his sonic screwdriver.

"Rose," he said grinning as he climbed out from under the console. Leaping to his feet he pulled her into his arms for a hug. "You're back!"

"'Course I am." she giggled. "How are the repairs coming?"

"Almost done, we should be good to go by morning." he said placing a kiss to the top of her head, "How are you feeling?"

"Much better." she replied; breathing him in.

"I'm so glad to hear that," he said pulling away from her and running back to the console. "'Cause I have the perfect place for us to go next. Just you wait Rose Tyler; you're in for a treat."

Rose chewed her bottom lip as his voice became a distant echo. She was still trying to think of the best way to tell him the news and she had no idea where to start. But she could do this, she had to do this. She would just tell him and that would be that. They would deal with the rest together.

"Rose?" The Doctor's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Rose are you listening to me?" he was looking at her with concern etched across his face.

"M' sorry, S' jus'…" she took a deep breath. "Doctor, we need to talk. S' important."

The Doctor swallowed roughly, "Are you leaving?"

"What? No." she said incredulously. She felt a wave of fear pass over her. "Do you want me to leave?" her voice was timid.

"No!" he shouted; startling her slightly. Taking a breath he replied more calmly. "No. It's just, after everything that happened yesterday and then me asking you to share a room, I thought…" he looked away. "I thought maybe you were having second thoughts about us."

Rose walked up to him, placing a hand on either side of his face. "I have never had second thoughts about us. I told you M' never gonna leave you. When will you get that through that thick Time Lord Brain?"

He gave her a half smile. "All of this is new to me. I've never had a real relationship before and I didn't want to push you too fast, and I…I thought maybe you blamed me for Mickey leaving."

"Oh Doctor, no." she shook her head. "If anyone's to blame S' me. "

"Rose, don't talk like that."

"What, you can blame yourself and I can't?"

"He didn't leave because of you." he said taking her hands in his.

"Didn't he?" her voice wavered. "I left him behind for a year, and then I didn't even want him to come with us 'cause I was selfish and wanted you to myself. And when you an' me got together proper, I tried not to make it so obvious around him 'cause I knew it still bothered him. But even before that, I should 'a treated him better 'cause he was my best friend and I jus' always assumed he'd be there. And now I can never tell him M' sorry." she could no longer hold back the tears as she collapsed into The Doctor's arms.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and pulled her into the jumpseat. "Rose, he forgave you for that a long time ago, and…" he paused; remembering his last conversation with the young man." He gave us his blessing."

"What?" Rose sniffed as she lifted her head from The Doctor's chest to look into his eyes.

He gave her a small smile. "I took him for granted too, but he was a remarkable young man. When were up in the Zeppelin he pulled me aside and told me that he knew what was going on between us and that he expected me to take care of you and protect you, or I'd have to answer to him." They both chuckled lightly. "He said that he would always love you, and as long as I promised to love you and make you happy, I had his blessing. I should have known it was strange that he was saying all that at the time. Maybe if I had been more attuned to the situation I might have been able to talk him out of it."

Rose sniffed. "Mickey never did anything without thinkin' it through. S' what he really wanted. I was bein' selfish again. Jus' didn't want to let him go. And I don't blame you."

"And you should blame yourself either." he leaned down and kissed her softly. Pulling back he smiled. "Alright now, I think it's time you got some rest. It's been an emotional couple of days and we need to get you back to perfect health." He stood up and reached out for her hand.

Rose bit her lip. "Doctor there's still somethin' I need to talk to you about." she began wringing her hands and could no longer look him in the eye.

He looked at her sideways, trying to discern her expression. "I'm sure it can wait till morning."

"No it really can't." she still wouldn't look at him.

"Rose, what's going on?" he started get that feeling in the pit of his stomach again. His thoughts were racing through his head a mile a minute. She had said she wasn't having second thoughts but maybe she felt they were moving too fast and wanted to stay with her mom for a bit before traveling again. He could give her that couldn't he? As long as it wasn't more than a few days, yes he could do that for her. Or maybe… was she sicker than she was letting on and she was afraid to tell him?

"You're thinkin' awful loud." she said, pulling him back to the present and attempting a smile.

He frowned at her. "Rose, this isn't funny. Just tell me what's going on. Do you want to stay with your mom for a bit?"

"No, I want to keep travelin'. But she does want us to come by for breakfast in the morning'."

He cringed slightly and then continued. "Ok, then did I pressure you too much by asking you to share a room?"

"No, I told you M' not doubtin' our relationship."

"Are you sicker than you're telling me? Is that it? "Cause whatever it is, we can go to New Earth and get…"

"M' not sick. Not really…S' nothin' like that I jus'…" she trailed off and closed her eyes. She could do this.

"Then what is it Rose? "Cause you're scaring me."

"I…I don't know how to say this." She was going to tell him.

"Say what?" he was at eye level with her now, grasping her hands in a desperate hold. "Rose, just tell me."

"Doctor I…" she looked into his eyes. "I'm pregnant." She said softly.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Partial dialogue taken from Idiot's Lantern and a nod to the movie Men in Black. Enjoy :)  
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><p><strong>Chapter 4 – Stolen Faces and Promises Made<strong>

_"__Doctor I…I'm pregnant." She said softly._

Although Rose was initially unsure as to how he would take the news, she hadn't expected the long silence she had to endure before he finally responded. To say his expression resembled a deer in the headlights would be an understatement. The color had completely drained from his face, and the usual warmth of his brown eyes had faded into utter despair as his adam's apple visibly bobbed up and down.

"That's not…that's…you…you're sure?" he stammered.

She nodded. "I took the test twice. I know you said it couldn't happen without…"

"It can't." He dropped her hands and stood up turning his back to her.

Rose was attempting to keep her emotions in check, but could feel him pulling away from her and it was breaking her heart. "Doctor please, please talk to me." She said softly.

"It's not possible." His tone was cold.

"You say that a lot you know." She attempted to lighten the mood. "Maybe the universe is tryin' to tell ya somethin'."

"You think this is funny?" He growled; spinning around to face her as the smile quickly faded from her face.

"No." she said quietly. I was jus'…" she bit her bottom lip to keep the tears at bay. So far it seemed that he had opted for scenario two.

"Get up; we're going to the med bay." He said sharply; grasping her arm and pulling her up from the jumpseat.

"What for?"

"I need to run some tests and find out what's going on. You may have been infected with something."

"Infected? What are you talkin' about?" she shook her head.

"There are any number of alien parasites that could easily read as a pregnancy."

_'__Alien parasite?'_ He was kidding right? Rose couldn't believe that he would rather think she was infected with some sort of parasite than believe she was actually pregnant with his child. Her emotions had been all over the place for the last few weeks. Most of the time she felt like breaking down and sobbing, but at this moment she was starting to see red. They were supposed to be in this together, and here he was scolding her like a child and wanting to use her as a bloody test subject because he refused to admit that he might be wrong about something for once. Well, she wasn't going to let him use his fears to try to explain away the situation. Not this time.

"No!" she yelled yanking her arm away from him. "No tests."

"Rose," he said warningly.

"No." she replied firmly; crossing her arms over her chest. "'Cause M' not gonna let you do this. M' not gonna let you run away this time." She stared him down. "S' not an alien parasite Doctor. S' a baby... our baby."

"It can't be!" he yelled; gritting his teeth.

"Why? Why is it so hard to believe? You said yourself we were compatible, yeah?"

"No." He shook his head. "I mean, yes Time Lords and Humans are compatible in most aspects, but there would have to be a number of things done on a genetic level for it to even be remotely possible." He was yanking on his hair; sending it into further disarray as he paced back and forth.

"Doctor," she spoke quietly.

He ignored her and continued his pacing. "We don't even know how this will affect your biology."

"Doctor," Rose said more urgently.

"There are so many things that could go wrong. What if you're not able to carry the baby to term?" He was babbling now.

"Doctor, stop it!" she yelled furiously.

He paused mid-rant and turned to face her; breathing heavily. "Can you even comprehend how dangerous this is? Can you?"

"You were obviously wrong about me gettin' pregnant, how do you know you're not wrong about me bein' able to handle it." She crossed her arms and looked at him pointedly. "And is that what this is really all about? Or is it that you jus' don't want it."

He looked at her incredulously. "You think I don't want…" he swallowed roughly. "You have no idea how much I..."

"Then why?" she pleaded. "Why can't you jus' accept it?"

"Because we don't know that your body can handle it!" He shouted; slamming his fist down on the console, making Rose take a step back. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I'm Gallifreyan. Our biological make-up is more advanced than yours and without doing proper testing beforehand to prepare you…" his voice started to crack. "If your body can't handle the actual birth, you and the baby could…" he rubbed his eyes and looked away. "I…I can't lose you Rose, I can't…" his voice drifted off.

Walking up to him, she placed a hand on either side of his face; forcing him to look her in the eyes. "You won't. You won't lose me or the baby."

He pressed his forehead against hers dejectedly. "You can't know that." he whispered; the anger finally leaving him only to be replaced with a growing weariness.

"Actually I do." She said reassuringly.

He snorted softly. "So you can see timelines now too then?"

"Somethin' like that."

He gave a shuddering sigh. "I wish I could have your faith. It's just…with everything that's happened, everything I've lost. How can I ever believe the universe would give me this?"

"Because you've already met her." she replied softly.

"Her who?"

"Our daughter."

"What?" he said pulling back to look her in the eyes.

She gave him a soft smile and stroked his sideburn with her thumb. "On the spaceship with the clockwork droids." His eyes widened and his jaw went slack. "How do ya think she knew so much about us, or how to handle you for that matter?" she chuckled.

"She…" he swallowed. "She told you that she was...?"

"Not in so many words, no." Rose shook her head. "S' like I jus' knew, like I'd seen it before. Motherly instinct, I guess." She shrugged.

He ran his hands through his hair. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before?"

"I wanted to tell you, but she asked me not to. Reminded me of your rule about not knowin' too much about your own future." She took a breath. "An' it gave me hope for us. I didn't know how or when it would happen, and then you were finally openin' up to me and I…" She bit her bottom lip and looked down at her hands. "You take on so much, and you refuse to allow yourself to think about this type of stuff, 'cause you don't believe you deserve it. But you do Doctor. You give so much and now S' time for you to have somethin' for yourself." Her voice wavered as she tried to hold back the tears. "An' I want this with you. Please jus' let me give you this."

When her eyes met his she sucked in a breath at the sight of the tears streaming down his face, and she was no longer able to hold back her own. He looked down and raised a trembling hand to press gently against her stomach.

"Our baby? Our…daughter?" He murmured, looking back up at her. Rose placed her own hand over his and nodded with a watery smile. "Oh Rose, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I was just so..."

"Scared? I know, even though you try to pretend you're not." she lifted her hand to stroke his cheek again. "I was scared too. I was afraid that when you found out, you might not want me anymore."

"And you should never have had to feel that way, because we're in this together." He reached up and cradled her face in his hands, placing a delicate kiss on her lips. "I will always want you, Rose Tyler."

"Good, 'cause you're stuck with me." she chuckled.

"We're having a baby." he exhaled as a smile began to tug at his lips. Within seconds it had blossomed into a full-blown grin as he swept her up in a bear hug; swinging her back and forth. "We're having a baby!"

Her tears tapered off into soft giggles as she held him tightly. Setting her down, he leaned in to kiss her; softly at first but growing in intensity. The Doctor pulled Rose flush against him, kissing her deeply as she wrapped her arms around his neck. After a few minutes, Rose pulled back; chest heaving.

"Give a girl a chance to breathe, yeah?" she laughed.

"Can't help it." He said moving in to claim her lips once more. "You have no idea how difficult it has been for me not to touch you in these last few weeks. When you stuck your tongue out at me the other day, I wanted to take you right there on the jumpseat." He reached down and grasped the hem of her sweater and yanked it over her head; tossing it behind him as he began placing kisses along her neck.

"But wasn't…" she moaned softly and leaned her head back to give him better access. "Wasn't Mickey in here at the time?"

"Yeah." he replied, tracing the shell of her ear with his tongue. "But I was beyond caring at that point. Arguing with you gets my blood boiling."

"Remind me to fight with you in private from now on." Rose whispered into his ear as she quickly divested him of his tie and suit jacket.

She was halfway through unbuttoning his shirt to feel the skin beneath when he pulled her flush against him once more and licked a trail from her collarbone up her neck. He smacked his lips together. "You are oozing hormones Rose Tyler."

"S' that a bad thing?"

"Uh uh," he replied sucking on her pulse point. "It's part of your condition, and you taste exquisite."

"So what, are you saying' along with the fightin', me bein' pregnant turns you on too?" she laughed.

He pulled back to look her in the eyes. "I'm the last of my kind…was the last of my kind." He grinned. "And something about knowing that you're carrying my child added to the increase in your hormone levels…yeah, it turns me on."

"Okay, so you gonna talk all night, or you gonna do somethin' about it." she grinned; tongue in teeth.

"Oh I'm gonna do something about it all right, just you wait." He wagged his eyebrows and before she could say another word, he swept her up over his shoulder as she squealed in delight; and carried her off to their bedroom.

**-oOo-**

When Rose awoke the next morning she was met with a sight that took her breath away. Usually The Doctor didn't require much sleep, so he would busy himself tinkering away on the TARDIS in the late night hours while she rested. She studied him as he slept. His features were soft and peaceful; his breathing steady and even and his hair looked deliciously rumpled. She smiled at the thought that she could actually tire him out to the point where he would need sleep. As her eyes drifted back to his face she was met with his warm brown ones watching her.

"Hello." he smiled softy.

"Hello." she said returning his smile with one of her own.

"Sleep ok?" he asked as he propped himself up on his elbow; resting his head against his hand.

"Very much so." she replied, mirroring his position. "You?"

"Oh definitely. I guess I was pretty tired after last night."

"Yeah." she ran a finger lightly over his chest. "It was quite an amazing night."

"It could be quite an amazing morning too." he said suggestively as he pulled her in for a kiss; a thin sheet the only barrier between their bodies.

She smiled into the kiss and then pulled away; groaning in frustration. "As much as I'd love to continue this, I promised mum we'd come for breakfast.

"I'd rather make you come before breakfast, he growled as he yanked the sheet away and pulled her flush against him.

"Doctor," she gasped and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth as his hands roamed her body. She began to lose herself to the sensations once more as he started trailing kisses down her neck. After a few moments, some of the lust-filled haze clouding her mind had dissipated enough to allow her to think clearly. "Doctor," she pushed lightly against his chest; dislodging his lips from her neck to look in his eyes. "I promised we'd go, and mum told me to tell you it was mandatory you show up. I think she wants to talk to you."

The Doctor groaned. "Do you really have to mention your mother while we're in bed?" Rose said nothing, instead opting for one of her_ 'you're not getting out of this' _looks. "Alright fine." he grumbled plopping onto his back.

She smiled as she sat up and leaned over him to rest her chin against his chest. "Is it different?" She began tracing light patterns over his hearts with her finger as he raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Gallifreyan pregnancies I mean. Is it different from a human pregnancy?"

He exhaled a deep breath through pursed lips as he ran his hand lightly up and down her back. "Dunno. There hadn't been any live births on Gallifrey in thousands of years. For the most part, I suppose it's the same. Although, I should probably do some research in the TARDIS library to compare." He gave her a soft smile and reached out with his other hand to stroke the apple of her cheek with his thumb. "You'll have the same basic cravings for certain tastes and smells, and of course the morning sickness, which you've already experienced." Rose wrinkled her nose and grimaced. "Oh, and the duration of a Gallifreyan pregnancy is actually twelve months instead of nine."

"A whole year?" her eyebrows shot up into her hair.

"Yep." he said popping the "P". "Why are you laughing?"

She shook her head as the giggling died down. "S' jus' you're always talkin' about how advanced you lot are. I figured she'd be poppin' out faster than a normal human."

"Weell, it's actually that bit of extra time that helps those advanced developments. You might say your lot is a bit undercooked." he grinned.

"Oh shut up." she slapped his arm playfully. Her brows furrowed for a moment as she contemplated her next question. "Do you think she'll be able to regenerate?"

"I'm not sure." he looked thoughtful. "It's possible though. Does that bother you?"

"No." she said honestly, and then looked him in the eyes. "I…I would want her to, so that way when," she paused. "When M' gone…"

"Rose, don't." he swallowed roughly. "Don't say that."

"Doctor M' sorry, I wasn't trying' to upset you, I jus'…It'll make me happy to know you would never be alone."

He looked away in attempts to keep the tears prickling his eyes at bay.

Rose pulled herself up next to him. "Hey," she said softly; cupping his cheek and turning his head back to face her. "M' sorry. We don't have to talk about this right now."

He shook his head. "No, I understand what you're saying and why you need to, I just…I don't...Can we just be here and now."

"Ok." she nodded and leaned in to kiss him.

He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss until she pulled back for air. "We still have a little time before breakfast." he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and nuzzled her nose. "You sure there's nothing I can do to persuade you to stay in bed for a little bit longer?"

"Well, you might be able to persuade me jus' a little." she smiled; leaning in to press her lips against his once more as he wrapped his arms around her and rolled them over.

**-oOo-**

"Mum, we're here." Rose called out as she entered the flat.

"'Bout time ya made it," Jackie said poking her head out of the kitchen. "Breakfast's almos' ready, come in and 'ave a seat."

Rose looked up at The Doctor and jerked her head in the direction of the dining area.

"Right, I'm just…gonna hang up our jackets." Rose raised her eyebrows. "I just need a minute to…prepare, that's all."

"Ok, but make it quick. You can't avoid her by standin' out here all mornin'." she quickly brushed her lips over his and headed into the kitchen.

The Doctor sighed. He was hoping to get through the morning without incident. Granted his relationship with Jackie hadn't started off so well, even though she hit on him the first time he met her; all big ears and leather. But then after thinking he had gone and abducted her daughter for a whole year; which earned him the famous Jackie Tyler slap, she hadn't trusted him much after that. He tried his best to make sure Rose made regular visits home, and even made a few sonic upgrades to her phone so that she and her mother would be able to talk no matter where or when they were in time. In the end, things got better when Jackie realized just how important Rose was to him, and after he regenerated, she even invited him to join them for Christmas dinner. Although he constantly made claims about disliking anything "domestic" he secretly enjoyed it. After so many centuries, it was the first time he really felt like part of a family; even getting the sense Jackie was starting to look at him as a potential son. That was of course before he, as she would most likely put it "knocked up her daughter". Right now his main goal was to make it through breakfast without getting slapped, and then he would whisk Rose off to someplace for just the two of them. Taking a deep breath, he headed in to face the music.

**-oOo-**

"Can I help with anythin'?" Rose asked as she stepped into the kitchen.

Jackie took one look at her daughter and rolled her eyes before turning back to the stove.

"What?"

"The pair of ya." Jackie shook her head. "I know that glow you got right now S' not from the pregnancy." she said as she turned the bacon. "Well at leas' now I know why you were late."

Rose blushed. "Mum," she quickly bit back her response as The Doctor came walking into the room. Jackie; looking back to see what had silenced her daughter, focused on the man leaning against the doorway.

"Doctor." She greeted.

"Jackie." He nodded in return; shifting uncomfortably.

"Well, don't jus' stand there, grab some plates and set the table." She waved her spatula towards the cabinets. "Rose needs her rest and she shouldn't be on her feet." She said shooing her daughter into the dining area.

"Mum, M' fine."

Jackie gave her a pointed look. "Go sit down."

"She's right Rose." The Doctor agreed as he began pulled some plates from the cabinet." You're going to need a lot of rest."

Jackie gave him a momentary look of surprise before turning back to her daughter. "See, he agrees with me, now go sit."

Rose sighed as she turned and walked out to the dining room. The Doctor followed; setting the plates down on the table so that he could pull her chair out for her.

"Now stay put." Jackie said from the doorway "This one can help me in the kitchen." she added, pointing to The Doctor. "Come on you."

Rose gave him a small smile as she recognized one of his prominent nervous ticks in the form of rubbing the back of his neck vigorously. "Right, that's no problem." He replied giving Rose his 'kicked puppy look' and following her mother into the kitchen.

Jackie was dishing eggs and bacon onto a serving platter and motioned for him to prepare the tea. After a few moments The Doctor spoke up.

"I suppose we should talk."

"S'pose we should." she agreed.

"I'm not going to leave her Jackie."

"I know." She said simply. "You're a better man than that."

He stared at her dumbfounded, not quite sure how to respond. He had expected yelling, and had even prepared himself for one of her patented slaps. But he certainly wasn't expecting the calm, reserved Jackie Tyler that stood before him now.

"Close your mouth you plum." She said with a slightly amused expression.

The Doctor blinked several times before he pulled himself from his thoughts. "Sorry, what?"

"Rose was right 'bout you not givin' yourself much credit." She shook her head. "You tried puttin' her above savin' the planet before, remember? 'Cause I do. I've seen what kind a' man you are. Did'ya really believe I'd think you'd jus' up an' leave her?"

"I dunno," he replied; tugging on his ear. "Honestly, I was sort of expecting a lot of yelling and you slapping me again."

Jackie smiled a little at that. "I wanted to at first, and I can't say M' exactly happy 'bout all this considerin' she's barely an adult herself."

"I know." He said quietly.

"But," she continued. "I've seen the way the two of ya are together. I've seen how much she's grown. An' even though this life of yours scares me to death, I know you'll always protect her an' always bring her home to me. But most of all, I see how happy she is with you, an' that's all I've ever wanted for her. So I jus' need you to answer one question for me. Do you love her?"

It barely took a second for the words to leave his lips as he met her eyes with sincerity. "With everything that I am." He glanced out the doorway to where Rose was sitting. "She saved me from the darkness and showed me the light. And I don't deserve her, but I will love her till the end of time." When he looked back at Jackie, she had tears streaming down her face.

"Oh come 'ere you." She said pulling him into a hug. "That was quite possibly the mos' beautiful thing I've ever heard." He chuckled softly and returned her hug. "Alright enough of that now." She said pulling back and grabbing a dishtowel to dry her eyes. "We need to eat before the food's cold."

The Doctor nodded and finished preparing the tea. Setting the mugs on a separate tray, he walked back out into the dining room.

"Everthin' go all right?" Rose asked nervously as he placed a mug in front of her.

"Everything's fine." he grinned, dropping a kiss on the top of her head as Jackie entered the room with the food. "Here, let me take that." he said reaching for the tray.

Jackie smiled as she handed it over and patted him lightly on the cheek. "Thank you sweetheart."

Rose released a quick sigh of relief and exchanged a meaningful look with both The Doctor and her mother before tucking into her meal.

The remainder of the morning passed smoothly with The Doctor answering what questions he could regarding what to expect from the pregnancy, and Jackie giving Rose a sympathetic pat on the arm when he told her that the duration would be twelve months instead of nine. Once breakfast was over, hugs were exchanged and promises made for Rose to return within a few days to help her mother clear out Mickey's flat.

As the pair walked through the parking lot towards the TARDIS, The Doctor spoke up. "So, that surprise I mentioned last night, you think you might still be up for it?"

"Hmm, S' possible." she said with a smile as she pulled out her key to unlock the door.

"Brilliant!" he grinned back. "I'll set the coordinates while you go get changed."

"Any particular dress code for this surprise destination?" she called back over her shoulder as she headed through the corridor.

"Oh, I'm sure the TARDIS will take care of that for you." he said with a wink.

Sure enough, when she got to their room an outfit was already laying on the bed. Picking up the lavender-pink satin dress, she held it up against her body. It was sleeveless with two thin spaghetti straps and the bodice was sheer and adorned with pink sequins that seemed to shimmer when caught by the light. The waist was tapered and flowed out into a beautiful 50's style ankle length skirt. Along with the dress there was a long sleeve moto blue jacket, a white lace petticoat, a pair of sheer black tights and a pair of matching open-toed lavender-pink heels; each with a bow situated on the outer side of the shoe.

Once she was dressed, Rose pulled her hair into a beehive style updo and used a matching lavender-pink headband to hold it in place; allowing her bangs to hang loosely around her face and for the final touch she added a pair of light pink crystal bead dangling earrings. A wave of excitement ran through her as she took one last glance in the mirror to check her makeup and then set off to the console room.

The Doctor was dancing around the controls again. He was still wearing his brown pin-stripes, but he had combed his hair into a pompadour style. His head snapped up immediately as though he seemed to have some sort of special sense for when she walked into a room.

"So what d'ya think?" she asked; twirling around as she approached him.

His eyes raked over her appreciatively, before pulling her into his arms. "You're perfect." he said as he leaned in to kiss her.

Giggling, she pulled back and leaned up against the console. "Alright, so you gonna tell me where we're goin' now?"

"Weelll, I suppose I could give you a hint." He reached over to press a button on the console, and music filled the air as he pulled her into his arms once more and began to sway back and forth.

_Wise Men Say, Only Fools Rush In_

_But I Can't Help Falling In Love With You _

Her eyes widened. "No way, we're goin' to see Elvis Presley?"

"That we are Rose Tyler." he pulled away to turn off the music. "Elvis Presley, the King himself and a very good friend of mine."

"You were friends with Elvis Presley?"

"Still am, and who do you think taught him how to play guitar?" he paused brows furrowed. "Although, he never really did get that G chord right." He reached over to flip another switch on the console.

"Hold on, how can you still be friends with him. I thought he died in the late 70's."

"He's not dead," he said incredulously; scrunching up his face. "He just went home."

"Right, like that Men in Black movie, yeah?" she laughed.

"I'll have you know that movie was 99.998% accurate." he paused looking at her confused expression. "There is no such device as a neuralyzer. They use a special compound known as Retcon to make people forget; usually with a spray or a pill. Lowell Cunningham just admired the old sonic screwdriver here and incorporated it into his stories." He twirled the sonic in his hand before slipping it back into his pocket.

Rose just stared at him; mouth agape. Even with all the time she had spent with him, he still never failed to surprise her.

"Here we go, 1956!" he shouted as he began the landing sequence; pulling her from her musings.

Surprisingly, he was able to keep the landing fairly smooth as she wasn't tossed to the floor this time. "Go on out." he gestured to the doors with a nod of his head. "I have another surprise for you."

"You're spoilin' me." she leaned in to give him a quick kiss before heading out the doors to take in her surroundings.

"I thought we'd be goin' for the Vegas era," she called back to him. "Ya' know the white flares and the…" she paused and made a low growling sound; mimicking a clawing motion with her hand. "Chest hair." she finished.

"You are kidding aren't you?" he asked poking his head out the door. "You wanna see Elvis, you go to the late 50's. The time before burgers, when they called him the pelvis and he still had a waist." he joked as he retreated back inside; causing Rose to double over with laughter. "What's more you see him in style, which I can promise you is much better than he looks now."

The sound of an engine made Rose spin around quickly to find its source. Her mouth dropped open as The Doctor exited the timeship on a TARDIS blue scooter; complete with helmet and sunglasses.

"You goin' my way doll?" he said in his best Elvis voice; curling his lip.

"Is there any other way to go Daddy-o?" she grinned slipping on her own sunglasses. "Straight from the fridge man." she laughed as she approached the scooter.

"Ah, you speak the lingo." he chirped happily as he tossed her a pink helmet.

"Yeah well, me, mum, and Cliff Richards movies every Bank Holiday Monday."

"Oh, Cliff." The Doctor said, shaking his head disapprovingly. "I knew your mother'd be a Cliff fan."

Rose wrapped her arms around The Doctor's waist and rested her chin against his shoulder as he put the scooter in gear and set off down the street.

"Where we off to?" she shouted over the roar of the engine.

"Ed Sullivan TV studios. Elvis did Hound Dog on one of the shows. There were loads of complaints. Bit of luck, we'll just catch it."

As she took in the area, she pressed further. "That would be TV studios in…what, New York?"

"That's the one." he grinned.

As they neared the end of the street, a bright red double decker bus passed in front of them, causing the Doctor to break abruptly and look around in confusion.

Rose was shaking with laughter behind him. "Diggin' that New York vibe."

"Weell, This could still be New York. I mean," he continued to survey the area. "I mean, this looks very New York to me." he eyed the Union flags that were strung up between the houses. "London-y New York, mind me." he muttered.

"What are all the flags for?" Rose inquired.

**-oOo-**

The Doctor was livid with himself as he made his way back to the police station. He had managed to miscalculate their destination once again. Oh he got the decade right, only it was way earlier than he had planned and the wrong country. He had landed them in London; 1953 to be exact, on the eve of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. Once Rose had pointed out the décor; proving they were not in New York, they decided to make the most of the trip and do a little sightseeing. In true nature, they instead wound up involved in a mysterious situation in which people's faces were being stolen before being carted off by shadowy men in black. After a bit of detective work, The Doctor was able to find out where the victims were being taken while Rose set off to do a bit of investigating on her own; ultimately becoming the next victim of an alien being known as The Wire, who had escaped execution on its planet by turning itself into an electrical form and thus required consuming mental energy to once again obtain a physical body.

The minute the agents had brought Rose into the room and he stared into the blank canvas that once was her face, he just about lost it. Her beautiful hazel eyes, that bright smile that could bring him to his knees, they were gone. He shuddered at the memory as he jammed his hands in his pockets and took larger strides. A young boy by the name of Tommy; whom they had met earlier that day on account of his grandmother being one of the first victims, jogged along trying to keep up with him. Tommy, for a moment had considered asking The Doctor to slow down, but when he saw the look in his eyes and the set of his jaw, he thought better of it and kept is mouth shut.

Deep in thought, The Doctor continued his brisk pace. His hand kept running over the VHS tape he had slipped into his pocket. The Wire had set itself up in a local TV merchant shop, where it had coerced the owner; Mr. Magpie into helping it achieve its goal of transmitting itself throughout the country by using the broadcast of the Queen's coronation to obtain the ultimate feast of minds. The Doctor, with Tommy's help was able to create a receiving device that could capture and transfer The Wire's consciousness. He had barely gotten to the Alexandra Palace television station, when Mr. Magpie attached The Wire to the transmitter; allowing it to begin feasting. As The Wire's power grew it consumed Mr. Magpie and attempted to do the same to The Doctor, before realizing that it had over exerted itself which allowed him to attach his device and capture it once and for all. He had laughed to himself when he realized he had created the home video thirty years early.

As they rounded the corner to the holding station, all of The Wire's victims; having regained their faces, had been released and were talking amongst themselves. Tommy broke away and ran towards his grandmother; giving her a big hug. The Doctor gave the boy a half smile and then began to scan the crowd frantically. A young couple moved aside, and there she was. Rose turned to look at him, and her smile made his breath hitch. He quickly made his way over to her; sweeping her up into his arms and crushing her to his chest as he spun her around. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed just as tightly; burying her nose into his jacket.

After a few moments they broke apart and he looked into her eyes. "Rose,"

"Doctor!" Tommy called out as he ran over to them. "Gran and I were hoping the two of you would join us for the party."

"We'd love to." Rose spoke up.

"Right." The Doctor agreed, giving her a look that said they would talk later. "Lead the way then there Tommy." He said as he slipped his hand into Rose's and moved to follow.

They took their time walking back, allowing the boy and his grandmother to go on ahead of them. Rose gave The Doctor a sideways glance and squeezed his hand. "So, The Wire…is she gone now?"

"Yep." He popped the "P" as he patted his pocket with the hand not currently entwined with hers. "Transferred her consciousness onto a videotape."

"And Mr. Magpie? What happened to him?"

"He's gone." The Doctor replied quickly and looked down at his feet. "I wasn't able to save him."

"S' not your fault Doctor." She squeezed his hand again and he met her eyes. "He knew what was happenin' to people and still he chose to help that thing. M' not gonna say he got what he deserved, but he chose is own path so that's on him not you."

The Doctor gave a soft smile at her words and leaned down to brush his lips over hers. "Come on, let's get you something to eat."

As they made their way back to Tommy's flat, the sound of music and laughter filled the air. Table after table filled with all sorts of foods and beverages lined the street as the entire block had turned out for the celebration. They walked along; hands clasped and swinging between them as they wove through the crowd.

"Will it…that thing, is it trapped for good on video?" Rose broke the silence.

"Hope so," he replied picking up a piece of cornbread from a nearby table and taking a bite. "Just to be on the safe side though I'll use my unrivaled knowledge of Transtemporal Extirpation methods to neutralize the residual electronic pattern."

"You what?"

"I'm gonna tape over it." He grinned holding the piece of cornbread to her lips.

"Jus' leave it to me." she laughed before taking a bite. "M' always doin' that."

"There you are Tommy," The Doctor said as they approached the young boy. He sat down on the bench and leaned against the table as Rose moved around him to peruse the arrangement of deserts. "You can have the scooter, a little present. Best keep it in the garage for a few years though, eh?"

The boy's attention was drawn to something across the street. "Good Riddance." he said; nodding and making The Doctor turn around.

They watched as the boy's father; suitcase in hand came walking out of the house and began to make his way down the street.

"Is that it then Tommy?" he asked turning back to the boy. "New Monarch, new age, new world. No room for a man like Eddie Connelly."

"Good for him. He deserves it." Tommy said coldly.

The Doctor nodded and exchanged a look with Rose.

"Tommy, go after him." she said gently.

"What for?" he turned to face her.

"He's your dad."

"He's an idiot."

"'Course he is. Like I said he's your dad." she quipped earning a smile from the boy. "But your clever, clever enough to save the world so don't stop there." she gave him a playful nudge with her shoulder and smiled. "Go on."

Tommy looked back at The Doctor and then turned to her once more giving a small smile and a nod before taking off down the street to catch up with his father.

The pair watched in silence for a moment as Tommy took the briefcase from his father and started up a conversation. Standing up, The Doctor picked up a glass of lemonade from the table and handed it to Rose.

"What?" she asked upon seeing the grin that lit up his face.

"You, the way you handled that just now. You're going to be an amazing mother Rose Tyler." he replied; clinking his own glass against hers and putting an arm around her waist.

She blushed. "Ya think so, huh?"

"I know so." he replied, leaning down to kiss her.

**-oOo-**

Rose was staring at her reflection in the mirror, making faces at herself and giggling. She had to admit, she was glad to have her face back. Not that her looks were a big factor to her; she had always thought of herself as slightly pretty in a plain sort of way; but nothing special. She could even sometimes be highly critical of herself. She had guys tell her she was pretty and it made her feel good, but when The Doctor looked at her, _the way he looked at her_; especially today, she truly felt beautiful. As she lightly ran her hands over her face, she reflected back over the day. It was typical of them to get caught up in some crazy adventure every time they wanted to do something relaxing, but that was just how their lives were. She also knew that The Doctor was blaming himself for everything that had happened once again. They had put off talking about it in favor of enjoying the festivities, but she could still tell that he was slightly distracted throughout the evening. It was always the same, anytime something happened involving her getting hurt he felt he needed to profusely apologize whether he was in control of how it happened or not, and just as she suspected, when Rose walked back into the bedroom, The Doctor was sitting on the end of the bed staring at the floor as he waited for her.

Sighing, she walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left you alone." he said softly.

"You have nothin' to be sorry for. M' the one who went off on my own, remember?"

"And I shouldn't have let you!" he snapped. "It's not just you I'm protecting anymore. You could've…" he swallowed roughly and turned away.

"But I didn't." she said gently as she took his hands in hers. "M' fine, yeah? See, M' right here. So stop blamin' yourself."

He looked up into her eyes. "Rose…"

"I know," she interrupted. "that I can be pretty jeopardy friendly, so we'll jus' have to promise one another we'll try harder to be careful from now on yeah?"

He gave her a half smile as he reached up and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Deal."

"Good." She smiled back. "Now come to bed. S' been a long day and M' exhausted."

Once she was settled under the covers, she turned on her side to face him as he climbed onto the bed to lie down beside her; mirroring her position.

He reached up and began to map out her face slowly; running his fingers over her brow line, over her nose and then tracing her lips before moving over to cup her cheek. "You are so beautiful." He whispered, leaning in to kiss her forehead and when she closed her eyes he placed another one on each lid. Pulling back for a moment he looked deeply into those soft hazel orbs and then moved in to press a kiss to her nose, followed by each cheek, before finally claiming her mouth. Rolling her onto her back, he moved closer so that his upper body was draped over hers as he deepened the kiss. He kept one hand against the side of her face; lightly stroking her cheek, as he continued to kiss her. He couldn't seem to stop; it was as if he was afraid that any moment her face would disappear again. Rose; realizing just how scared he had been just held onto him, running her fingers through his hair and kissing him until he was content. Not that she was complaining, she felt as though she would never get tired of feeling his lips against hers. Minutes flew by before they finally broke apart, and stared into one another's eyes. She reached up and stroked his sideburn as he leaned in to nuzzle her nose. She smiled brightly and then yawned.

"You should get some sleep." he said returning her smile as he moved to lie on his back; pulling her against him so that her head was resting on his chest.

"Mmm." she mumbled. "G'night Doctor."

"G'night Rose." he placed a kiss to the top of her head.

Her soft breaths told him she had already drifted off, and he sighed staring up at the ceiling. She was right, she was very jeopardy friendly and it was always easy for the two of them to find trouble with the life they led. The events of the day just showed him how quickly he could lose everything, and he knew he was going to have to work even harder to keep her out of danger now, especially with the pregnancy. As he closed his eyes, he made a promise to himself that he would do whatever it took to protect his family. He had already lost one, he would not lose another.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Once again, I Do Not own Doctor Who, but I can still enjoy it. Although, I'm not really sure where Moffit is going with this new season yet. Oh, and I am really enjoying Gracepoint on Fox. David does a pretty good American accent, but I still think they should have just let him talk normally. Anways, here is the new chapter, going into The Impossible Planet so a lot of the dialogue should be recognizable. Credits also go out to The Proclaimers for use of their song lyrics for "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)". I saw the video from Tennant's wrap party and had to have the Doctor singing it at some point. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5 - Impossible Planets and Dire Warnings<strong>

After their encounter with The Wire, things had been fairly tense. But a few days of relaxation on the beautiful beaches of Kataa Flo Ko had helped put The Doctor back in better spirits.

Rose awoke refreshed, the majority of the morning sickness now behind her. His side of the bed was once again empty. Although he didn't sleep much, she was grateful that he will still spend a majority of the time holding her while she did. But most nights; when she hadn't tired him out enough, he would get restless just lying there and have to get up to do some tinkering or to just wander around in one of the many rooms the TARDIS had to offer.

Figuring he would most likely be in the console room, she quickly dressed and left their room to find him. As she walked along, the sound of music began to fill the corridor. Stepping into the room, she could see a pair of pinstriped legs sticking out from under the console, his feet dancing along to the beat as he sang along.

"When I'm lonely, well I know I'm gonna be  
>I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you<br>When I'm dreaming, well I know I'm gonna dream  
>I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you<br>When I go out, well I know I'm gonna be  
>I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you<br>And when I come home, Yeah I know I'm gonna be  
>I'm gonna be the man who comes back home with you"<p>

Grinning, she finished zipping up her new pink jacket and walked across the room, stopping next to him.

"Mornin'." She sing-songed over the music.

Pulling himself out from under the console, he smiled broadly up at her. "Good morning." He replied; leaping to his feet and pulling her into his arms for a quick kiss. "I was thinking we could use the randomizer today, what do you say?" he asked pulling away to shut off the music as he danced around, pressing various buttons.

Rose giggled at his exuberance. "Sounds good to me."

"Right then." he grinned, pulling one final lever. "Off we go!"

The TARDIS suddenly began to shake, roughly tossing its occupants about. The Doctor grabbed Rose as she stumbled forward and held her to him with one arm as he used the other to grip onto the console to keep them upright. After a few minutes, the shaking ceased.

"You alright?" he looked down at her, brushing a lock of hair out of her face.

She nodded. "What happened? She's never done that before."

"Not sure." He looked at the monitor. "We've landed though."

"So where are we?" she rested her chin on his shoulder as she stood behind him trying to make sense of the symbols on the screen. As the TARDIS wasn't translating, she knew the writing was Gallifreyan.

He turned his head towards her and wiggled his eyebrows. "Only one way to find out." Kissing her nose; he turned and grabbed her hand, pulling her down the ramp.

The TARDIS's normal hum seemed to come out as more of a groan as he opened the door.

"I don't know what's wrong with her, she's sort of queasy." he said as they stepped out into a small room. "Indigestion, like she didn't want to land." he reached out a stroked the outer frame of the TARDIS lovingly.

"Well, if you think there's goin' to be trouble, we can always get back inside and go somewhere else." she replied while trying to keep a straight face.

They looked at each other for about half a second and then burst out laughing.

"I think we've landed inside a cupboard." he remarked once their laughter had died down. Reaching down, he entwined his fingers with hers. "Let's see where we are."

They made their way through three different corridors before reaching what looked to be some sort of gathering area full of tables and chairs.

"Oh, it's a sanctuary base." he said looking around the room. "Deep space exploration, we've gone way out." He paused; pointing to the floor. "And listen to that; underneath. Someone's drilling."

Rose's gaze was focused on something behind The Doctor. "Welcome to Hell." she said softly.

"Oh it's not that bad."

She looked back at him and laughed; shaking her head. "No," she put her hands on his shoulders and turned him around to face the wall she had been staring at a moment ago. "I was readin' that."

The words _'Welcome to Hell'_ were written in big black lettering across the wall. Underneath the words were various symbols that the TARDIS was not translating. The Doctor knelt down in front of the wall; studying the script.

"Can you read it?" Rose asked as she knelt down beside him.

"No," he tilted his head. "It won't translate."

"But I thought the TARDIS translated everythin'; writin' as well."

"Exactly." his brows furrowed. "And if that's not working, it means that this writing is old. Very old." he scrunched up is face. "Impossibly old." He jumped up; grabbing her hand and pulled her to the door. "We should find out who's in charge. We've gone beyond the reach of the TARDIS's knowledge. Not a good move," he began to open the door. "And if someone's lucky enough…"

"Oh!" they simultaneously shouted in surprise at what they found waiting behind the door.

Three alien beings stood silently before them. They were a pale; almost cream color with large bulbous heads and angular ears, and where their mouths would normally be was an array of tentacles that hung just below their chins. Each had a narrow white tube that led from their tentacle filled mouths to a softball sized white orb in the palm of their right hand.

"Right, hello, sorry." The Doctor attempted a cheerful stance as he sheltered Rose behind him. "Um, I was just saying uh…nice base."

The orbs in the hands of the creatures lit up brightly and were accompanied by a trio of voices. "We must feed." They replied.

The Doctor's attention was quickly drawn away from the glowing orbs as he squinted in confusion. "You're gonna what?"

"We must feed." The voices replied once more.

Rose grasped his hand and yanked him backwards. "Yeah, I think they mean us." she was running for the door they had entered previously and pulling him along behind her when it opened and more of the creatures entered; repeating the same phrase. She grabbed the nearest weapon she could find; which happened to be a chair, and held it out in front of her; in a defensive stance.

The Doctor reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his sonic; pointing it at the advancing aliens. "Rose, I'm going to try to distract them and I want you to run for the TARDIS." he said as the familiar buzzing of his screwdriver filled the air.

"Forget it Doctor, M' not leavin' you. If we're goin' down, we're goin' down fightin' together."

"Rose, don't do this."

"Doctor," she replied warningly.

As they were staring down one another now, they didn't notice the creature at the front of the group shaking his orb until it began banging on it. After a few more taps, the orb made a rattling sound and it completed its previous sentence of "We must feed" by finishing it off with "You, if you are hungry."

The Doctor exchanged a look with Rose before lowering his sonic. "Sorry?"

The orb lit up once again. "We apologize." said the creature. "Electromagnetics have interfered with speech systems. Would you like some refreshment?"

Realizing that they were no longer in danger for the time being, Rose set down the chair she was holding. The Doctor stood mouth agape, but before he could respond to the creatures, the door opened again and in walked a man in his mid-forties, flanked by a younger man and woman holding weapons.

"What the Hell?" The lead man said in surprise as he stared at the newcomers. "How did…?" he stepped forward to look at the pair, and The Doctor pulled Rose into a protective embrace. "Captain," the man said into his transmitter. "You're not going to believe this. We've got people; out of nowhere, I mean real people, I mean…two living people just standing here right in front of me." is eyes continued to dart back and forth between the pair.

"Don't be stupid, that's impossible." replied a voice.

"I was just telling them that." The man responded.

"But you're a sort 'a space base. You must have visitors now and then, it can't be that impossible." Rose interjected.

The man put his hands on his hips. "You're telling me you don't know where you are?"

"No idea." The Doctor shook his head and then grinned brightly. "More fun that way."

A woman's voice came from the overhead speakers. "Standby everyone, buckle down. We have incoming and it's a big one. Quake point five on its way."

The lead man ran to the door as sirens began to wail around them. "Quick through here!" he yelled over the noise.

The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and followed him down another corridor as the shaking began. It had just barely let up when they stepped into a large control room. Two men and a woman were hunched over the controls in the center of the room, and they looked up immediately when the newcomers entered.

The man on the right side of the center console spoke up first. "Oh my god you meant it."

"People," a younger woman said as she approached from the other side of the room. "Look at that, real people."

"That's us," The Doctor replied shoving his hands into his pockets. "Hooray!"

"Yeah," Rose nodded. "Definitely real. My name's Rose," she raised her hand to give them a wave. "Rose Tyler and this is The Doctor." she added pointing to him.

A young man with long black hair spun his chair around to face them. "Come on," he stood up and walked towards them. "The oxygen must be offline. We're hallucinating, they can't be…" he stood in front of the pair and stared for a moment before looking back at the other crew members in surprise. "No, they're real."

The man who had spoken when they first walked into the room rolled his eyes. "Come on, we're in the middle of an alert!" he shouted. "Danny, strap up." he said looking at the young man who was still staring at The Doctor and Rose. "The quake's coming in. Impact in thirty seconds. Sorry you two, whoever you are." he addressed the pair. "Just hold on, _tight_." he emphasized the last word.

"Hold on to what?" Rose asked looking around.

"Anything, I don't care. Just hold on." he replied. "Ood, are we fixed?" he addressed the alien creatures.

"You're kindness in this emergency is much appreciated." replied one of the Oods.

"And impact!" The man yelled as the place began to shake.

The Doctor pulled Rose against him as he grasped onto a metal bar protruding from one of the control panels. After a few seconds the shaking stopped and he began to release his grip. "Oh well, that wasn't so bad." he said with a smile.

Suddenly the shaking began again; much worse than before and they were tossed to the ground. He pulled her to him tightly; bracing his back against the wall and his feet against the side of the control panel to keep them in place as flames shot up from the consoles and sparks showered over them. After a few minutes, the quake tapered off and the crew began running around the room to put out the fires.

"Okay, that's it." The man at the main console spoke up. "Everyone all right?" he called out taking roll call of his crew members.

The Doctor looked down at Rose who was still wrapped in his arms and smoothed her hair out of her face. "You okay?" he said softly and then ran his hand along her stomach.

"We're ok." she gave a small smile and he nodded; leaning in to kiss her before pulling her to her feet.

"We're fine thanks, fine. Yeah don't worry about us." The Doctor said sarcastically when they weren't asked.

The surface caved in." replied the man; ignoring his comment. "I deflected it onto storage five through eight." he sighed and leaned forward. "We've lost them completely. Toby," he addressed the tall lanky young man who had been standing at the control panel with him when they entered the room. "Go and check the rocket link." he gestured to the door.

"That's not my department." Toby answered crossly.

"Just do as I say, yeah." The man said in exasperation.

Toby glared at him and then left the room in a huff as The Doctor and Rose looked on. There was a loud rumbling from outside and she stared up at the ceiling.

"Never mind the earthquake, that's…" she paused. "That's one hell of a storm. What is that, a hurricane?" she asked the two women who were standing at the control panel.

"You need an atmosphere for a hurricane," said the younger of the two; shaking her head. "There's no air out there. It's a complete vacuum."

"Then what's shaking the roof?" Rose replied.

"You're not joking?" said the other woman; surprised. "You really don't know. Well, introductions." she took a breath. "FYI as they said in the olden days, I'm Ida Scott, Science officer." She pointed at the man sitting at the main console who had taken charge during the quake. "Zachary Cross Flane; acting Captain," he nodded to the pair and smiled when Ida added "Sir." She pointed across the room to the man they met when they arrived. "You've met Mr. Jefferson, he's head of security. Danny Bartock," she turned to the young man with the long dark hair sitting behind her. "Ethics committee."

"Not as boring as it sounds." Danny pointed out.

Ida rolled her eyes. "And that man that just left, that was Toby Zed; Archaeology, and this" she place her hands on the shoulders of the young woman that answered Rose's earlier question, "is Scooti Manista, Trainee maintenance." Ida moved to the other side of the room. "And this," she said turning to face them as she placed her hand on a lever. "This is home." She pulled the lever downwards causing the roof to open.

"Brace yourselves." Zach warned. "The sight of it sends some people mad."

The Doctors mouth dropped open as the overhead shutters pulled apart revealing a large black mass bathed in an eerie orange glow.

Rose stood next to him; eyes widened at the sight. "That's a black hole." she said quietly as she looked over at him to gage his reaction.

"But that's impossible." he breathed out.

"This is bad, yeah?" she asked quietly.

"Bad doesn't cover it." he looked back at her. "A black hole's a dead star, it collapses in on itself, in and in and in until the matter's so dense and tight it starts to pull everything else in too." His gaze drifted back to the black hole. "Nothing in the universe can escape it. Light, gravity…time. Everything just gets pulled inside and crushed."

"So they can't be in orbit." her eyes remained transfixed on the mass above them. "We should be pulled right in."

"We should be dead." he responded.

"And yet, here we are, beyond the laws of physics." Ida replied. "Welcome on board."

**-oOo-**

"This planet is called Krop Tor, _'The Bitter Pill'_," Ida informed them as they stood around the main console with her, Zach, Toby and Mr. Jefferson and examined the images of the black hole that had been recorded by the ship.

"The Bitter Pill," Rose repeated. "I like that."

"We're so far out, lost in the drifts of the universe. How did you even get here?" asked The Doctor.

As Zach began to explain the gravity field, Rose drifted away from the group to explore the room. One of Oods approached her and handed her a cup.

"Your refreshment." The alien bowed his head.

"Oh yeah, Thanks." she replied accepting the cup. "Thank you, M' sorry, what was your name?"

"We have no titles. We are as one." The Ood stated.

She looked at the alien confused for a moment before it stepped away from her. She spotted Danny and Scooti going over some paperwork and approached them. "Um, what are they called?" she asked; pointing after the alien.

"Oh c'mon, where have you been living?" Danny responded. "Everyone's got one."

"Well not me," she said plastering on a fake smile at his condescending tone. "So what are they?"

"They're the Ood."

"The Ood?" she repeated. "Well, that's Ood." she joked.

"Very Ood" Danny agreed. "But handy. They work the mineshaft, all the drilling and stuff. Supervision and Maintenance. They're born for it; basic slave race."

"You've got slaves." Rose said incredulously.

"Don't start; she's like one of that lot. Friends of the Ood" Scooti rolled her eyes and smiled to herself.

"Well maybe I am, yeah." Rose said annoyed. "Since when do humans need slaves?"

"But the Ood offer themselves." Danny attempted to explain. "If you don't give them orders, they just pine away and die."

Rose turned to one of the Oods in disbelief. "Seriously, you like bein' ordered about?"

"It is all we crave." The Ood responded.

"Why's that then?" she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"We have nothing else in life." it stated matter of factly.

"Yeah, well I used to think like that." Memories of her working at Henrik's floated to the forefront of her mind. All the times she had felt stuck and wished for more until she finally met The Doctor. "A long time ago." she added before stepping away and returning to the group around the console who seemed to be in a bit of a debate. As she approached, Toby had taken the floor.

"It's buried beneath us, in the darkness…waiting." he was saying in a dark undertone.

"What's your job, chief dramatist?" Rose addressed the young man as she set her cup down, and The Doctor beamed at her proudly.

Toby glared for a moment and then continued. "There was some sort of civilization. They buried something. Now it's reaching out; calling us in."

"And you came." The Doctor smiled.

"Well how could we not?" Ida replied.

"So, when it comes right down to it, why did you come here?" The Doctor asked the group rhetorically. "Why did you do that, why? I'll tell you why. Because it was there." he was grinning brightly. "Brilliant." He turned his attention to his right. "Excuse me ah, Zach, wasn't it?"

"That's me." The Captain replied.

"Just stand there, 'cause I'm gonna hug you." he paused. "Is that all right?"

"S'pose so." Zach nodded.

"Here we go, come on then." The Doctor wrapped his arms around the man who just grinned at his strange behavior. "Oh, human beings. You are amazing! Ha!" he patted Zach on the back before releasing him. Zach just shook his head as Rose put a hand up to her mouth to stifle her giggles. The Doctor gave Rose a wink and then turned to address the group once more. "But apart from that, you're completely mad. You should pack your bags, get back in that ship and fly for your lives."

"You can talk." Ida interrupted. "And how the hell did you get here?"

He and Rose exchanged a look. "Oh, I've got this um, this ship." he shook his head and scrunched up his face. "It's hard to explain, it just sort of appears."

"We can show you," Rose added. "We parked down the corridor from, oh what's it called." she put her hand to her forehead as she gestured to him. "Habitation area…"

"Three" he finished for her and she nodded in agreement.

"Do you mean storage six?" Zach asked.

"Uh, it was a bit of a cupboard, yeah." The Doctor nodded, and the group exchanged a sympathetic look. As he took in their expressions, he began to remember what Zach had said earlier about losing several areas of the structure. "But you said…you said." he paused again as his eyes widened. "You said storage five to eight." he spun around quickly and ran for the door as Rose trailed behind him.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she called out to him as they sprinted through the corridors.

When they reached door sixteen, he began to pound against it, repeatedly pressing the button on the wall for access. "No, no, no!" he screamed. "This is not happening!"

"Doctor, what is it? What's wrong" Rose asked; placing a hand on his shoulder as he stared out the porthole.

"The TARDIS is gone." he replied in utter disbelief as he moved back and slumped against the wall. "After the earthquake, this section collapsed."

"But, she's gotta be out there somewhere yeah?" Rose peered out the porthole herself.

"Look down." he told her.

As her eyes descended she saw nothing. The entire structure had given way and was gone. After a few seconds, The Doctor was sprinting back to the control room with Rose in tow. "The ground gave way. My TARDIS must've fallen down right into the heart of the planet." he addressed Zach as he ran into the room. "But you've got robot drills heading the same way."

"We can't divert the drilling" Zach replied calmly.

"But I need my ship." The Doctor was becoming frantic. "It's all we've got." he said, gesturing to Rose. "It's our home."

"Doctor, we've only got the resources to drill one central shaft down to the power source, and that's it. No diversions, no distractions, _No Exceptions_." he emphasized. "You're machine is lost. All I can do is offer you a lift if we ever get to leave this place, and that is the end of it." he shook his head to deter any further comment and walked away.

Rose felt her body tremble and she slowly sunk down into one of the swivel chairs. The TARDIS was gone, and the heartbreak she heard in The Doctor's voice only drove the realization deeper. She knew how much he loved his ship. It was the last piece of his true home he had left, and now it was lost too. Rose wondered what kind of life they could possibly have now that they were stuck on this impossible planet. Sure they could hitch a ride back with the crew once they left this place, but then what? Could The Doctor honestly settle down in a house and try to do domestic family life while they raised their daughter, no longer being able to travel or have the adventures he loved. While on occasion she secretly hoped for slight domesticity, she would never make him give up the traveling. She had hoped for some sort of balance of family life and adventure while making a home together on the TARDIS, but now it seemed that scenario was off the table.

Ida stepped forward. "I'll uh, put you on the duty roster." she told The Doctor. "We need someone in the laundry."

He stood frozen in place for a moment as the realization of the situation washed over him before finally daring a glance as Rose. She was sitting quietly in one of the swivel chairs; staring at the floor. "I'm so sorry," he said softly as he approached her and knelt down at her feet; taking her hands in his.

"Why?" she whispered; trying to hold back the tears as she looked up into his eyes.

"I've trapped you here, you and the baby."

"No," she shook her head. "This is not your fault. You couldn't have known this would happen, so jus' stop worryin' about me." The room began to shake lightly once more and her eyes drifted upwards. "Okay, we're on a planet that shouldn't exist, underneath a black hole with no way out…" she looked back into his eyes. "Yeah, I guess you could worry about me jus' a little." she attempted a small teasing smile as he pulled her into his embrace; staring up into the black hole and holding her tightly.

After a few moments he released her. "I'll just go see if I can find us a room so you can get some rest." He said as he got to his feet. Leaning down, he placed a quick kiss to her forehead before turning and striding from the room.

Rose sighed and slumped back into the chair. She had wanted to stay strong in The Doctor's presence so as to not add any further stress, but now she could no longer hold back the tears. As they fell in earnest, she let her mind wander. Now that the TARDIS was gone, and he could no longer travel, would he still want to be with her? And how would this affect their relationship? Could they stay together knowing that she would one day be gone as well and he would be stranded on some distant planet all alone with no means of escape.

"You alright?" came a soft voice to her right.

Looking up she saw Scooti holding out some tissue. "Yeah, thanks." she replied as she accepted them and dried her eyes. "S' jus' all a little overwhelming, that's all" she added with a small laugh.

"So how far along are you?" The two women looked up to see Ida holding a beverage. "Sorry, I sort of overheard the conversation between you and The Doctor. Thought you might need something to relax you."

"Thanks," Rose smiled taking the drink from her. "M' almos' six weeks gone now."

"You poor thing," Scooti said patting her hand. "You must be exhausted."

"Yeah, jus' a bit" Rose nodded. "With everthin' that's happened, S' a lot to take in."

"The Doctor seems to be taking the loss of your ship pretty hard." Ida leaned against the console. "When I showed him your sleeping quarters he didn't say much, just sat down in chair and stared out the window."

"Yeah, The TARDIS is our home." Rose looked down at her cup. "M' not sure what we're gonna do now." she sighed; placing the unfinished drink on the table and stood up. "I should really go check on him."

"And get some rest." added Ida.

"I'm really sorry about your ship." Scooti said softly; giving her a hug. "Maybe we can talk some more over breakfast?"

"Yeah, I'd like that. Thank you," Rose attempted a smile. "See you in the mornin'."

Scooti nodded and returned her smile before exchanging a sympathetic look with Ida as Rose left the room.

**-oOo-**

The Doctor was still sitting in front of the window when Rose entered their quarters. The eerie glow from the black hole highlighted his features; making him look even more tired than usual.

"I've heard black holes are like gateways to another universe." she broke the silence.

"Not that one," he responded without turning around. "It just eats."

"Long way from home." she was starting to realize she might never see her mother again, and pulled her phone from her pocket; pressing a few buttons. "No signal. That's the firs' time we've gone out of range. Mind you even if I could," she paused. "What would I tell her?"

He stood up and walked towards her; hands jammed in his pockets. "I promised her I would always take you back home."

"Everyone leaves home in the end." she said quietly.

"Not to end up stuck here." he sighed and bowed his head.

"Yeah," She reached out and cupped his cheek; bringing his eyes up to meet hers. "But stuck with you that's not so bad."

Pulling his hands from his pockets, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. "Yeah?" he searched her eyes for any sign of doubt.

"Yes." she replied firmly as she encircled her arms around his neck.

His sullen expression quickly transformed into a small smile and he leaned forward, crushing his lips to hers. After a few minutes, they broke apart and he pulled her over towards the bed. "You should rest, I know you're exhausted."

She nodded as she crawled beneath the covers. He removed his tie, and then slipped off his trainers and jacket before settling down beside her and wrapping her in his arms.

"Doctor?" Rose said softly.

"Hmm?"

"When Zach mentioned to you earlier that they could give us a lift when they leave here, I jus' wanted you to know that I don't expect you to jus' find some place and settle down on the slow path. I mean, M' not expectin' you to get a house or anythin' like that and if there's a way to keep travelin' then…"

"Rose, we don't have to talk about this right now." he interrupted.

"I know, but I need you to know that jus' because we lost the TARDIS doesn't mean M' gonna force you into some sort a' domestic situation as an alternative."

"I know." he replied dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "Now get some sleep."

Rose sighed as she closed her eyes; willing sleep to come and take away her thoughts and fears, at least for a little while.

The Doctor turned his head and continued to stare out the small window at the taunting unnaturalness of the black hole. His ship was gone, and now because of that they were trapped in this place until the crew decided to leave. But then what? Find a planet and settle down, get a job and a mortgage. Those thoughts seemed to scare him more than facing Daleks and Cybermen at the same time. He silently cursed the universe for continuing to give him something his hearts desired, only to have something else taken away. He looked back at Rose who was curled up against him. She was worried about the same things, and the words she said before she drifted off ate at him. She may not say it outright, but he knew she wanted things to be a little domestic; they were starting a family after all, and it tugged at his hearts to know that she would put his happiness above her own to keep him from being stuck somewhere. Sure, the TARDIS was their home, and he always thought that at least he would have the traveling to fall back on one day when Rose was gone, but now… Until they knew for sure about the traits their unborn child would carry, it was quite possible that they could both be gone before him and he would have to live the rest of his lives in one place all alone. He took in her beautiful face as she slept. "Oh, but you're worth it." he said softly; stoking her hair. And he knew in his hearts he meant it. If he had to trade all of time and space for one thing, just one thing...he'd do it for one life with her.

**-oOo-**

After only a couple of hours of sleep, he and Rose awoke to the sound of her phone ringing.

"What in the world?" she mumbled, reaching across The Doctor to grab it from the nightstand. She looked at the caller id but it was blank. "Hello?" she mumbled, sleepily.

After a few seconds of silence a deep growling voice filled her ear. "He is awake." it said; forcing her out of her haziness as she threw the phone to the floor.

"Rose?" The Doctor looked at her quizzically. When he saw the fear in her eyes, he sat up and grabbed her shoulders. "What is it?"

**-oOo-**

"The mysterious couple," Danny said dryly as The Doctor and Rose bounded down the stairs to the Ood habitation area. "How are you then? Settling in?"

"Yeah, sorry straight to business." The Doctor interjected. "The Ood, how do they communicate? I mean, with each other?"

"Oh," Danny shrugged. "Just empaths. There's a low level telepathic field connecting them. Not that that does them much good." He looked over at Rose. "They're basically a herd race. Like cattle." Rose resisted the urge to smack the uncaring smirk off his face.

"This telepathic field, can it pick up messages?" The Doctor asked.

"'Cause earlier when I was havin' dinner, one of the Ood said somethin'…well, odd." Rose added with a small chuckle.

"Oh, an odd Ood." Danny replied sarcastically.

Rose chose to ignore him and continued. "And then I got somethin' else on my uh," she exchanged a quick look with The Doctor. "Communicator, thing."

"I'm sure it's nothing." Danny brushed her off. "Look, if there was something wrong, it would show. We monitor the telepathic field. It's the only way to look after them." He leaned over the catwalk to look at the group of Ood sitting on the benches below them. "They're so stupid." he dragged out the word. "They don't even tell us when they're ill."

As Rose advanced; fists clenched, The Doctor grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back towards him. "Calm down." he whispered softly, but before she could respond the room began to shake violently and Zach's voice came over the com link.

"Everyone evacuate eleven to thirteen." he yelled. "We've got a breach. The base is open. Repeat, the base is open."

The Doctor grasped Rose's hand and took off through the corridor towards the main control room with Danny on their heels. When they stepped through the door, the rest of the crew was waiting for them.

"We've lost sections eleven to thirteen. Everyone alright?" Zach looked around the room.

"I couldn't find Scooti." Ida replied. "Has anyone seen her?"

"Her biochip says she should be right here." Zach said staring at the screen.

"I've found her." The Doctor's voice was sullen.

The group followed his gaze up to the ceiling. On the opposite side of the thick glass, Scooti's lifeless body was drifting slowly towards the black hole. Rose gasped; covering her mouth with her hand and burying her face into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. "Sorry, I'm so sorry."

"She was twenty." Ida breathed out tearing her eyes away from the horrific scene and moving to close the overhead shutters. "Twenty years old."

They all stood staring at one another for a few moments as Rose wept quietly in The Doctor's arms. Suddenly there was loud thump and then the base was completely silent.

"It's stopped." Ida looked around the room. "We've stopped drilling, we've made it. Point zero."

**-oOo-**

After a short argument, The Doctor was able to convince Zach to allow him to accompany Ida into the mineshaft. Rose waited while he slipped the bright orange spacesuit over his brown pinstripes.

"What do you think?" he asked once he was dressed.

"S' kinda hot actually." she replied with a tongue toothed grin.

He smiled brightly. "Okay, oxygen, nitro-balance, gravity…it's been ages since I wore one these."

She poked him in the chest. "I want that spacesuit back in one piece, you got that?"

"Yes sir." he replied with a mock salute and then pulled her into his arms; kissing her deeply as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Alright you two, break it up." Zach hollered over his shoulder. "We're on a schedule."

Pulling back with a grin, The Doctor placed his helmet over his head; the inner led's lighting up once it clicked into place.

"S' funny, 'cause people back home think that space travel's gonna be all…" Rose shook her head. "Whizzin' about and teleports; antigravity." she paused. "But S' not is it? S' tough."

He nodded. "I'll see you later."

"Not if I see you first." she laughed at their recurring joke and pulled his head down to place another kiss on his helmet; making him grin like a loon.

He stepped into the elevator shaft alongside Ida and turned to give her a reassuring smile. She returned it; giving him a small wave, which he returned as well.

Rose moved over to watch the monitors as the elevator made its descent and Zach's voice came over the com link.

"You've gone beyond the oxygen field. You're on your own."

"Don't forget to breathe." Rose added. "Breathing's good."

"Rose, stay off the com." Zach replied.

"Not a chance." she grinned to herself, and heard The Doctor give a small chuckle.

The room began to shake again and Rose managed to catch herself before she dropped to the floor. "Doctor? Doctor are you alright?" she called into the transmitter.

Zach's voice soon joined her. "Ida, report to me. Doctor?"

"It's alright. We've made it. Getting out of the capsule now." he responded loud and clear.

Rose exhaled a deep breath. "What's it like down there?"

"It's hard to tell. Some sort of cave; cavern. It's massive." he paused for a moment. "Rose, you can tell Toby we've found his civilization."

"Oi, Toby. Sounds like you got plenty of work." she addressed the young man sitting on the floor a few feet away.

"Concentrate now people. Keep on the mission." Zach interjected.

"Captain, sir." Danny's voice broke through the link. "There's something happening with the Ood."

"What are they doing?"

"They're staring at me." his voice was quiet. "I've told them to stop but they won't."

Zach put his fingers to his temples and sighed. "Danny, you're a big boy. I think you can take being stared at. Just keep an eye on them."

"Everything all right up there?" Inquired The Doctor

"Yeah, yeah." Rose said quickly.

"It's fine." Zach agreed, followed by a sarcastic "Great." from Danny.

"Ok, well we've found something down here. It looks like metal; like some sort of seal. I've got a nasty feeling the word may be trapdoor. Not a good word; trapdoor. Never met a trap door I liked."

"The edge is covered with those symbols." Ida added.

"Do you think it opens?" asked Zach.

"That's what trap doors tend to do." The Doctor replied.

Zach ran his hands over his face. "Rose, ask Toby if he got anywhere with decoding the symbols."

She looked over to the young man huddled on the floor, but before she could ask, he spoke up.

"I know what it says." his voice was very calm and deeper than normal. Then he began to stand and she gasped at the sight of his face. He was completely covered in those same symbols and his eyes were blood red. He tilted his head and spoke again; his voice taking on a low growl. _"These are the words of the beast, and he has woken. He is the heart that beats in the darkness. He is the blood that will never cease. And now he will rise."_

Mr. Jefferson pulled his gun and stepped in front Rose; shielding her. "Officer stand down." he said sharply; taking aim. "Stand down."

"What's going on?" The Doctor's worried voice came over the com link. "Rose, are you ok?"

Toby's body began to shudder and his eyes started to glow as the symbols on his skin transformed into a thick black mist that started to possess the Ood in the room as he dropped to the floor. Their eyes took on the same shade of red and they began speaking as one. _"We are the legion of the beast. The legion shall be many, and the legion shall be few."_

"Rose? What is it?" The Doctor sounded frantic. "Rose, I'm coming back up."

The three Ood began advancing on them as the ship started to shake again, and Mr. Jefferson opened fire. Rose covered her face and turned away from the sight.

Danny came barreling through the door and slammed it shut behind him. "It's all of them, all of the Ood are infected."

"Jefferson, what's happening there?" asked Zach.

"We're safe for now. Running low on ammunition though. How about you?"

"All I've got is a bolt gun, with one bolt. I could take out a grand total of one Ood. Fat lot of good that is."

"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on up there?" The Doctor shouted over the speaker. "Where's Rose."

"She's here and she's safe." Mr. Jefferson replied; placing a hand on her shoulder and giving her a concerned look. She nodded in agreement; still unable to speak. "She's in my care Doctor."

"Ida, Doctor, I want you back up here immediately." Zach ordered.

"But we come so far." Objected Ida. "And it's not much better up there with the Ood."

"Ida, that's an order." Zach replied. "I'm initiating strategy nine. No arguments." There was a slight bit of feedback and then the com link was silent. "Ida! Ida!" he shouted.

After a few long moments the sound of static filled the air once more followed by The Doctor's voice. "Rose, we're coming back."

She took a deep breath and leaned down to speak into the microphone. "Best news I've heard all day." The sound of a gun cocking turned her attention towards her left where Mr. Jefferson was standing over Toby. "What are you doin'?"

"He's infected. He brought that thing on board. You saw it yourself."

She glanced over at Toby who was cowering in fear. "So you're gonna start shootin' your own people now, is that what you're gonna do? Is it?

"If necessary." he replied coldly; eyes never leaving the younger man's in front of him.

"Well then you're gonna have to shoot me if necessary." she put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "So what's it gonna be?"

Mr. Jefferson's eyes drifted back to her stern expression and he slowly lowered his weapon. "Fine, but if there's any sign of trouble, I'll shoot him." he gave Toby a pointed look.

Rose knelt down and put her arms around Toby's shaking form. "It'll be alright. I promise." she attempted to console him as the lights flickered and then went out; plunging them into darkness.

The screen on the control panel lit up. Its light the only source in the blinding darkness, as an image of several Ood came into focus and the unearthly voice that had taunted them earlier once again filled the room.

_"This is the darkness. This is my domain. You little things that live in the light; clinging to your feeble suns, which die in the end. Only the darkness remains."_

"This is Captain Zachary Cross Flane of Sanctuary Base Six, representing the Torchwood archive. You will identify yourself."

_"You know my name."_

Zach leaned back in his chair. "What do you want?"

"You will die here, all of you. This planet is your grave."

"If you are the beast, which one?" inquired The Doctor. "'Cause this universe has been busy since you've been gone. There's more religions than there are planets in the sky. Which Devil are you?"

_"All of them."_

"How did you end up on this rock?" he asked; determined to get control over the situation.

_"The Disciples of the Light rose up against me and chained me in the pit for all eternity."_

"When was this?"

_"Before time."_

"What does that mean?"

_"Before light and time and space and matter. Before cataclysm. Before this universe was created."_

"That's impossible." The Doctor scoffed. "No life could have existed back then."

_"Is that your religion?" _The beast inquired.

"It's a belief."

_"You know nothing, the killer of his own kind."_ The Doctor was silent. _"All of you, so small," _The beast began to taunt each of them in turn. _"The Captain so scared of command. The soldier haunted by the eyes of is wife. The scientist, still running from Daddy. The boy who lied. The Virgin. And the young girl out of her time; so far from home. The valiant child who's fragile mortal life will end at the sound of the drums."_

"Shut up." Rose's voice wavered at first, but then gathered strength. "Jus' shut up!" she told the voice. "You don't know what you're talkin' about."

"Rose, don't listen to it." The Doctor said reassuringly.

_"You will die child," _growled the beast._ "And I will live."_

The monitor flickered and the image of the Ood was replaced by a giant horned creature that began to cackle and roar. The crew members all began talking at once; their fears bringing out their irrationality.

"All of you stop it!" The Doctor and Rose's voice's rang out simultaneously.

The men turned to face Rose as The Doctor's voice continued over the com link. "That thing is playing on very basic fears. Darkness, childhood nightmares, all that stuff."

"But that's how the devil works." Danny butted in.

"Okay, but what makes his version of the truth better than mine? 'Cause I'll tell you what I see, Humans. Brilliant humans who travel all the way across space in a little rocket; right into the orbit of a black hole, just for the sake of discovery." he paused and chuckled. "Amazing, all of you. The Captain, his officer, his friends, all with one advantage. The beast is alone. We are not. If we can use that to fight against him…"

The Doctor's speech was cut short by a loud banging noise as the cable to the elevator snapped and plummeted down the shaft.

Rose gasped and grabbed the microphone. "Doctor, we lost the cable." her words were met with silence. "Doctor are you all right? Doctor answer me!"

"Com's are down Rose." Zach replied. "There's no way to reach them, they're stuck down there."

"No, no, no, no." she shook her head. "I refuse to believe that."

A loud popping sound came from the door to her right, followed by a shower of sparks.

"The Ood are cutting through the door bolts. They're breaking in." Zach's voice was accompanied by static.

"Yeah, we've got the same problem down here." Mr. Jefferson replied.

"Right." Rose took charge. "So we need to stop them, get out, or both."

"I'll take both, yeah?" Danny crossed his arms. "But how?"

"You heard The Doctor. Why do you think that thing cut him off? "'Cause he was makin' sense. He was tellin' ya to _think _your way out of this. C'mon!" she yelled at the three remaining men in the room; startling them. "For starters we need some lights. Zach," she leaned down to the microphone. "There's got to be some sort a' power somewhere."

"I could reroute the power from the rocket's generators. Its got an independent supply. Hold on, channeling rocket feed in three…two…one…power!"

"Let there be light." Danny murmured as the overheads flickered back on.

"Okay," Rose nodded. "Now we need a way out. Zach, Mr. Jefferson, you work on that. Toby, any ideas on how to translate that language?" she turned to the young man who was still sitting on the floor.

"Maybe, since that thing was in my head, the letters seem to make a little more sense."

"Great, you work on that then, and Danny boy," she walked back to the control panel where he was going over some calculations on the screen. "You're in charge of the Ood. Any way of stoppin' them?"

"There's all sorts of viruses that could stop the Ood. Trouble is, we haven't got them on board."

Rose placed her fingers to her temples in anticipation of the growing migraine. "Well that's handy, listing all the things we haven't got." she crossed her arms over her chest. "We haven't got a swimmin' pool either. Or a Tesco's."

Danny pursed his lips. "I can do it hypothetically. If you flip the monitor, broadcast a flare, it can disrupt the telepathy between the Ood. They'd pretty much spark out."

"There we are then," she smiled. "Knew you'd find somethin'."

"But," he continued. "I'd have to transmit from the central monitor. We would have to go into the Ood habitation area."

"That's what we'll do then." she gave him a pat on the back. "Mr. Jefferson, sir." She looked on over the older man's shoulder while he pulled up the schematics of the ship. "Any way out?"

"Just about. We can access the maintenance tunnels from here. The captain can manipulate the oxygen field; creating discrete pockets of atmosphere so that we can forgo respirators."

"Okay, now we jus' need to get to Ood habitation. Work out a route." she lightly kicked Danny in the bum as she made her way back towards the elevator shaft. "We're gonna get you back Doctor."

"Pregnant women are so bossy." Danny muttered to Mr. Jefferson, who grinned as he continued to punch coordinates into the monitor.

**A/N: Reviews are welcome as always. I really appreciate the feedback I've received so far.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok first off I want to say thanks for the reviews I've been getting. It really makes me feel good to know people are enjoying the story and it even motivates me to write more often. I'm even almost finished with the next chapter already, and I'm really excited about it. At this rate I may even be able to get a few chapters ahead at a time; which is good because I want to do this right and make sure you are all left with a complete story when it's all said and done, but I'm still only going to stick with posting one chapter a week. I know, I know, the impatience monster gets to me too, but honestly what fun would it be if I posted everything at once and then you didn't have that little something to look forward to every Friday. Not that Friday's aren't already enjoyable, seeing as they are the start of the weekend and all. Me, I love Friday's myself. Oh, look I'm channeling my inner 10****th**** Doctor with all this rambling. So I'll just be quiet now and let you read the remaining Impossible Planet/Satan Pit Storyline which has lent the recognizable dialogue to my story. That's it; I'll leave you to it now. Bye!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6 – Devils and Legends<strong>

The Doctor and Ida were looking over the damaged elevator. When they heard the cable snap, they had just managed to pry open the doors and leap to safety as it came crashing down upon them. Their only way out of the cavern, now scraps of metal littering the ground.

"Well, we've got all this cable; we might as well use it." Ida said; picking through the rubble. "The drum's disconnected. We could adapt it, feed it through."

"And then what?" The Doctor turned back to her.

"Abseil into the pit."

"Abseil." he nodded. "Right."

"We're running out of air with no way back." she pointed out.

"I'll get back." his voice was firm. "Rose is up there."

"Well, maybe the key to that is finding out what's in the pit." Ida retorted in a frustrated tone.

The Doctor hesitated for a moment and then began disentangling the cables. "Fine, but I go down. Not you."

Ida glanced at him in surprise but said nothing as she helped him attach one end of the cable to the drum. Grabbing the other end, The Doctor began to fasten it around his waist, trying to fight his inner turmoil as he made his way back over to the opening of the pit. "How do I get myself into these things?" he muttered as he stared into the gaping darkness.

-oOo-

"They're breaking through!" Danny shouted over the loud popping sounds coming from the opposite side of the airtight metal door. He raised his hands defensively as a shower of sparks cascaded over him.

Mr. Jefferson was pulling up part of the grating that led down into the maintenance tunnels. "Danny we've got to go now!" he shouted back; tossing the grating aside.

"Almost done." The younger man finished a few more keystrokes and pulled a computer chip from the console; holding it up triumphantly. "Put this in the monitor, and it's a bad day to be an Ood."

Mr. Jefferson smiled in relief. "Okay Danny, you go first." he pointed down to the tunnel opening. "Then you Miss Tyler, then Toby. I'll go last in defensive position."

Rose grasped his shoulder. "We're coming back, have you got that?" she said sternly. "We're coming back to this room and we're getting The Doctor out."

He placed his own hand atop hers and looked into her eyes reassuringly. "I promise."

Rose nodded and then turned to follow Danny down into the tunnel.

"Straight on until you find junction seven point one." Zach's voice filtered through the com link. "I'll be feeding you air."

On hands and knees, they continued to make their way through the tunnels as they passed through the first three junctions. While they waited for Zach to filter the air to the next location, a loud banging rang out from the section they had just vacated.

"What was that?" Danny's breath quickened.

"The junction in Habitat Five's been opened." Zach replied. "It must be the Ood. They're in the tunnels."

"Open the gate Zach!" Danny's calm demeanor had quickly deteriorated into an erratic fearfulness as he began pounding on the gate with his fist.

"Danny," Rose grabbed his arm; trying to calm him. "That's not helpin'."

"I'm going to buy us some time." Mr. Jefferson spoke up as he turned to make his way back down the tunnel in the direction from which they came.

Rose looked at him in surprise. "What are you doin'? You can't go back down there."

"Miss Tyler, that's my job. You've got your task, now see to it." He cocked his firearm and headed down the tunnel.

A creaking sound followed by a sharp hiss signaled the next gate opening, but it was soon drowned out by the loud ringing of gunfire.

"Jefferson, I can't stop for your dramatics!" Zach shouted over the com link. "You've got to go John. Now move!"

Rose was halfway through the gate when it began lowering. "Mr. Jefferson!" she cried out as Toby pulled her backwards to keep her from being crushed. The last thing she saw before the gate separated them; trapping in the remaining air, was the defeated look on the older man's face as he realized he wasn't going to make it in time. She placed her hand on the now closed gate and turned to look at the two men behind her who sat frozen. Crawling over towards them, she leaned back against the wall and put her face in her hands.

"Report," Zach's voice was shaky. "Officer John Maynard Jefferson PKD…" there was a long pause. "Deceased, with honors. 43K two point one."

"Zach," Danny tried to steady himself. "We're at the final junction, nine point two. And uh, if my respects can be on record…he saved our lives."

Rose wiped her eyes with her sleeve and gave the young man a small smile and nod in agreement to his statement.

"Noted." Zach replied. "Opening nine point two."

Toby screamed as the gate lifted and they were staring into the blood red eyes of the Ood."

"We've got to go back!" Danny was pushing Rose the opposite direction.

"We can't go back! The gate's sealed." Toby shouted.

Rose immediately took in her surroundings, looking for a way out. She smiled in relief when she saw the small section of grating above her and with a couple of well-placed measures of force; she shoved it out of the way. "So we go up. C'mon boys." she lifted herself up through the floor and reached down to give each of the men a hand up, before taking off down the corridor towards the Ood Habitat.

Danny pushed ahead, running immediately to the control panel and inserting the chip. As the reading on the monitor dropped to zero, the Ood began to grab their heads in pain and collapse.

"You did it!" Rose grabbed Danny into hug, and then turned to Toby to do the same. Pulling back she leaned into the microphone on the console. "Zach, we did it. The Ood are down. Now we've got to get The Doctor."

-oOo-

Ida dusted off her hands. "That should hold it." she said as she walked towards him. "How's it going?"

"Fine. Should work. Doesn't feel like such a good idea now." he leaned over the opening slightly. "But there's that itch again. Go down, go down, go down." Bouncing on the balls of his feet; he turned to her and grinned.

Ida shook her head and smiled back. "The urge to jump, do you know where it comes from, that sensation?" she asked as she checked the fastenings on his harness. "Genetic heritage. Ever since we were primates in the trees. It's our body's way of testing us, calculating whether or not we can reach the next branch."

"No, that's not it." He argued half-heartedly. "That's too kind. It's not the urge to jump. It's deeper than that. It's the urge to fall!" He wagged his eyebrows as he launched himself backwards into the dark chasm.

"Doctor!" Ida shouted grabbing the brake lever on the drum to halt his descent. She took a breath, hoping their connection over the com link was still working properly. "Are you okay?"

A few seconds passed, but then his voice responded. "Not bad, thanks. The wall of the pit seems to be the same as the cavern, just not much of it. Okay then, lower me down."

In an attempt to steady their nerves, The Doctor and Ida lightly debated over the origins of the beast. They had only been chatting for what seemed like a matter of minutes when the screeching sound of the drum halting filled the air.

"That's it." Ida called down to him. "That's all we got. You getting any sort of readout?"

"Nothing." he looked below him. "Could be miles to go yet, or could be thirty feet. No way of telling." he tilted his head in thought. "I could survive thirty feet."

"Oh no you don't." Ida argued putting the drum in reverse. "I'm pulling you back up." Suddenly the drum halted again. "What are you doing?"

"You bring me back, we're just gonna sit there and run out of air." he said quietly. "I've got to go down."

"But you can't Doctor, you can't." she pleaded. "I don't want to die on my own."

"I know, but I have to do this." he began loosening the cable around his waist and then paused as he felt a shudder go through him. "If they get back in touch…" he swallowed roughly. "If you talk to Rose, tell her…" So many things were running through his mind. If these were his last words to her, what did he say? I love you, I'm sorry, have a fantastic life for me? "Tell her…" He had stranded her here with no way home, she would never see her mother again and now…now it was possible he was going to leave her too. There was an extreme possibility that he would not make it out of this. That he would never see her again; never get to hold his child. What could he possibly say that would ever be enough? He sighed, knowing half the things he wanted to say sounded like a finality, but he didn't want to leave her with nothing if he didn't return. "There's an agency I used to work for called Unit. Rose knows about it. They set up an account for me a long time ago that has been accruing interest over the years. I recently had her name added to the account, and with the money, she and the baby will be set for life." The Doctor hoped without the words, Rose would still see the meaning in the gift he was bestowing. He began to unlatch the cables from his belt, trying to steady his hands. If this one act did lead to his end, he just couldn't bring himself to allow the words to come from someone else if he couldn't be the one to say them to her. "Tell her the password is the place where she and I first met, where I first took her hand…and told her to _run_." he whispered the last word as the final cable was detached and he was swallowed by darkness.

Ida stood motionless; staring down into the blackness of the pit. Her final cry of "Don't go!" had fallen on deaf ears. A crackle of static startled her out her daze.

"Doctor, are you there? Doctor, Ida can you hear me?" Rose's voice was shaking.

Ida swallowed. "He's gone." she said softly.

Back up in the drilling area, Rose's face paled. "What do you mean he's gone?"

"He fell into the pit." a brief interlude of static passed and Ida continued. "And I don't know how deep it is. Miles and miles and miles."

Rose squeezed the communicator tighter. "But, what do you mean he fell?"

"Well, I couldn't stop him." She said defensively before pausing to collect herself. "He said...he said to tell you that he set up an account for you and the baby with something called Unit. You're to give them a password to access it. He said it was where you first met; where he told you to run."

Rose not only felt like she was going to be sick, but she thought that her legs might give out at any moment. She swallowed the lump in her throat as the shock overtook her; barely even registering Zach taking the communicator from her hand. "I'm sorry." he said softly, but she didn't respond. Her whole world at that moment had shattered into pieces and she could barely breathe.

"Ida," Zach paused and shook his head. "There's no way of reaching you. You're ten miles down and…we can't get there."

"You should see this place Zach, it's beautiful." Ida's voice was soft and reserved as she tried to make light of the situation. "Well, I wanted to discover things, and here I am."

"We've got to abandon the base. I'm declaring the mission unsafe. All we can do is make sure no one ever comes here again." he paused again for a response. "Officer Scott?"

"It's all right." her voice wavered, "Just go…and good luck."

"And you." he hung his head. "Danny, Toby, close down the feed links. We're leaving." he ordered as he moved away from the control panel.

Rose shook her head. "M' not leavin'." she said softly.

He spun around to face her. "Rose, there's space for you and a job if you want it. We can make sure you have a place to call home, for you and the baby."

"No, M' gonna wait for The Doctor. Jus' like he'd wait for me."

Zach looked at the ground uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, but he's dead."

She shook her head again. "You don't know him. 'Cause he's not…" her voice broke as she attempted to hold back the tears. "M' tellin' you, he's not. And even if he was, how could I…" the tears were falling in earnest now. "I love him, he's my soulmate, he's the father of my child. I won't leave him all on his own down there."

Zach nodded sadly at the heartbreak in the young woman's voice. "Then I apologize for this. Danny, Toby," he gestured to the two men. "Make her secure."

They each grabbed her by an arm, and she began to struggle wildly. "No, no! M' not leavin'." She watched as Zach approached her with a syringe. "No! What is that? Get that away from me!"

"It's a mild sedative Rose." he assured her. "It won't hurt you or the baby."

"No!" she screamed. "You can't do this, you can't! Let me go!" It only took seconds for the sedative to take effect and then she was swallowed by darkness.

Zach lifted her gently over his shoulder. "I have lost too many people. I am not going to leave you and your unborn child here to die." he headed down the corridor with the Danny and Zach falling into step behind him.

-oOo-

Deep in the heart of the planet, The Doctor opened his eyes slowly and sat up. The glass on his helmet had been shattered by the fall, and he almost didn't notice as there was plenty of oxygen to breathe in the cavern. A noise from above startled him, and he looked up to see a large rocket moving away from the planet.

"Rose," he swallowed the lump forming in his throat and took a breath. At least she was safe, and if he couldn't find some way of getting out of this place and back to her, then the money he procured would take care of her and the baby. The thought of never being able to see Rose again, to never see his daughter grow up made his hearts ache. He wiped away a tear and shook his head in attempts to focus.

Getting to his feet; he dusted himself off and began to take in his surroundings. The cave walls had depictions of a battle between man and beast. As he studied the artwork, he noticed two pedestals; each with an urn sat on top. Reaching out he brushed his fingers against the urn closest to him and both began to glow simultaneously. Confusion lit his features until he heard a growling noise come out of the darkness. There, chained to the solid rock of the cavern, stood the beast. Illuminated by a red glow, it was massive beyond belief, an all-out giant. Its features were twisted and grotesque. Large black horns adorned its head and its eyes were deep black pits; each housing a ball of fire. The beast grinned; jagged teeth bared as it growled in victorious pleasure.

As soon as the surprise wore off, The Doctor began to analyze the creature before him. "I accept you exist." he admitted. "I don't have to accept what you are, but you're physical existence, I'll give you that." he tilted his head, pondering. "I don't understand. I was expected down here, given a safe landing and air. You need me for something, what for?"

The beast growled loudly as it pulled against its restraints in attempts to get at the Time Lord.

The Doctor took another step forward. "You spoke before, I heard your voice; an intelligent voice actually. But looking at you now all I see is the Beast. Where's the intelligence gone?" he puzzled for a moment deep in thought. "Oh, no." the color drained from his face in realization and he looked upwards to where he had previously seen the rocket. "Rose."

-oOo-

Rose was still feeling slightly groggy when she awoke. '_When I get my hands on Zach'_, she thought angrily as she pressed a hand to her forehead and attempted to sit up, only to feel something restraining her. Focusing until her vision was clear; she looked down at the offending item and realized it was a seatbelt. Looking out the window to her right she could see the massive black hole in the distance as the rocket carried them further away. A fresh wave of anxiety began to build in her chest as she struggled to remove the item binding her to her seat.

"It's alright Rose, you're safe." Danny called out. Glancing to her left, he gave her a reassuring smile, and Toby; who was sat between them nodded in agreement.

She shook her head. "No. I told you M' not leavin' The Doctor!" She took a quick look at her surroundings until her eyes rested on the bolt gun in the seat in front of her. Picking it up, she pointed it towards Zach; who was piloting the rocket. "Take me back to the planet!" she shouted. "Take me back to him right now, or I'll shoot!"

Zach remained calm and looked at her over his shoulder. "Would you though? Would you really?" he gave her a pointed look. "Is that what your Doctor would want?"

Dejectedly, Rose lowered the gun and slumped back in her seat. "No," she replied softly. She knew all too well that he would have done the same thing and sent her away. Just like he did on satellite 5.

"Sorry, but it's too late anyway." Zach continued. "Take a look outside. We can't turn back. This is what the Doctor would have wanted. Isn't that right? To make sure you were safe?"

She chose not to respond as Toby began to chuckle.

"Hey, she's upset. Try to have some compassion." Danny scolded as he smacked his colleague's arm. "What's the joke anyway?"

"Sorry," he shrugged. "Just, we made it. We escaped. We actually did it."

"Not all of us." Rose muttered bitterly as she buckled herself back into the chair.

-oOo-

"You're imprisoned, long time ago. Before the universe, after, sideways, in between, doesn't matter." The Doctor was pacing as he babbled to the amusement of the beast. "The prison is perfect. It's absolute, it's eternal." He paused. "Oh, yes! Open the prison, the gravity field collapses. This planet falls into the black hole! You escape, you die. Brilliant!" he grinned as his clever brain began to put the pieces together. "That's just the body, but the mind, the mind can escape." He twirled around as he came to his deduction. "You didn't give me air, your jailers did. They set this up a long time ago. They need me alive, because if you're escaping then I have to stop you."

He looked around the room and his eyes settled over a large rock. "If I destroy your prison your body is destroyed. Your mind with it."

Picking up the rock with both hands, he lifted it above his head; ready to smash the urn, when a look of horror crossed his face and he lowered his arms; dropping the rock in the process.

"But then you're clever enough to use this whole system against me." His voice lost its edge. "If I destroy the planet, I destroy the gravity field. The rocket…" he breathed. "The rocket loses protection and falls into the black hole." He grimaced. "I'll have to sacrifice Rose and our baby."

The beast grinned wickedly and began to laugh.

-oOo-

Looking back out the window, Rose absentmindedly ran a hand over her stomach. "It makes no sense."

"What do you mean?" Danny inquired as he continued to punch coordinates into the monitor above his head.

"I mean, it could've killed us. Ripped out the air, burned us, anythin' really. But why did it let us go?" her thoughts drifted as she stared off into space. "Unless…"

"Unless what?" Danny was now looking at her confusedly.

"Unless it wanted us to escape." she finished.

"Hey Rose do us a favor," Toby cut her off; leaning towards her. "Shut up!" he whispered harshly.

Rose bit back a response as the anger flashed in her eyes and leaned back into her chair. It wouldn't do any good to get into a fight with the young man right now, although when they reached their destination, she might have a few things to say. '_Stupid git._' she thought to herself as she returned her gaze to the window. She tried to imagine what she would do for the rest of her life. The Doctor had set up an account for her and the baby; which she was grateful for, but she didn't care about the money. She wanted him, and she couldn't imagine her life without him. She never expected him to settle down, nor would she want him to. She had loved their life of adventure. '_Had', _she noticed the past tense. Was it all past tense now? She didn't want to believe it was true, but she had lost him and now she would be alone for the rest of her life on some remote planet in the distant future. He would never get to see his daughter grow up, and she would never get to share her life with him like she had so desperately wanted. Sinking back into her chair, she allowed the silent tears to flow.

-oOo-

"So that's the trap. Or the test, or the final judgment I dunno." The Doctor ran his hands through his hair and turned back towards the beast. "But if I kill you, I kill her and the baby."

The laughter continued to spill from the demonic creature's mouth intermittent with fierce growls, angering The Doctor that much more. A smug grin lit up his face as he clasped his hands behind his back and strolled forwards.

"Except that implies, in this big grand scheme of Gods and Devils, that she's just a victim." He touched his tongue to the back of his front teeth. "But I've seen a lot of this universe. I've seen fake gods and bad gods and demigods and would-be gods, and out of all that, out of that whole pantheon," he continued with mustered bravado. "If I believe in one thing, just one thing," he growled; his voice laced with conviction. "I believe in her!"

Reaching down, he retrieved the rock and quickly smashed both urns as the beast reared back and began to roar in agony while white hot flames shot out of its body.

"This is your freedom!" The Doctor shouted; tossing the rock back onto the ground. "Free to die! You're going into that black hole, and I'm riding with you!"

The beast continued to struggle as it tried to reach him; lashing out as much as it could while still bound by the restraints. The Doctor gave a feral grin; wiggling his fingers mockingly in a gesture that showed he was beyond fearing the now powerless creature before him. The ceiling of the cave began to break apart and debris was raining down upon them as the beast continued to thrash about wildly. Dodging as many of the falling rocks as he could, The Doctor continued to sprint across the cave, looking for any type of sanctuary. The shaking became worse and he stumbled backwards falling against a solid structure. As his eyes drifted upwards, he was met with salvation. There, in all its astounding glory, stood the TARDIS.

-oOo-

The rocket began shuddering violently as the alarms sounded.

"What's going on?" Danny shouted.

Zach stared at the monitor in horror. "We've lost the funnel. The gravity's collapsed. We're headed straight for the black hole."

"S' the planet. The planet's movin'." Rose called back; eyes still fixed out the window. "S' fallin'." she turned back towards the men and gasped in surprise and terror. Toby was now facing her; eyes blood red and blazing, and once again covered in symbols.

"Oh my god, what is he?" Zach, having heard the commotion, was now staring wide-eyed over his shoulder.

"I am the rage and the blood and the ferocity." the beast through Toby growled as flames began erupting from his mouth. "I shall never die; the thought of me is forever. Nothing will ever destroy me, noth-"

Rose pulled back her clinched fist; shaking it lightly to ebb away some of the pain as the former archeologist; now turned monster's face registered slight confusion to the assault. "That's for tellin' me to shut up!" she reached down and grabbed the bolt gun; aiming it towards the front window and fired. "Now go back to hell!" she shouted; unbuckling his seatbelt and allowing the suction to pull him out of the ship and into space towards the black hole.

Zach quickly activated the emergency shields to cover the broken window and stabilize the air. "We've still lost the gravity funnel. We can't escape the black hole."

"But we stopped him." Rose replied calmly. "That's what The Doctor would have done."

"Some victory." he shook his head. "But hey, the first human beings to fall inside a black hole." he attempted to joke. "How about that? History."

Rose and Danny shared an exasperated look and then all at once the shaking ceased. The ship began to right itself and move away from the black hole.

"What's happened?" Rose asked; her voice slightly hopeful.

"We're turning. We're turning around." Zach said in disbelief. "We're turning away."

There was a loud crackling sound followed by static and then a voice came over the intercom. "Sorry about the hijack Captain. This is the good ship TARDIS."

Rose gasped aloud and covered her mouth as her heart leapt inside her chest. He was alive.

"Now, first things first." The Doctor continued. "I'm looking for a short, feisty blonde. Extremely gorgeous, goes by the name Rose Tyler. Have you seen her?"

Rose began to giggle uncontrollably. "M' here Doctor!" she shouted. "S' me, where are you?"

"Oh, I'm just towing you home. Gravity schmavity." he scoffed. "My people practically invented black holes." he paused as if in thought. "Well, in fact they did. In a couple of minutes, we'll be nice and safe. Oh and Captain, can we do a swap? Say, if you give me back the beautiful mother of my child, I'll give you Ida Scott. How about that?"

"She's alive?" Zach was ecstatic and Danny began bouncing happily in his seat.

"Yeah, a bit of oxygen starvation, but she should be alright." The Doctor replied. "I'm afraid I couldn't save the Ood though. I only had time for one trip. They went down with the planet." he finished with a slight sadness to his voice. "Anyway," he quickly shifted to a more upbeat tone. "Here we are, entering clear space. End of the line. Mission closed."

-oOo-

Ida began to stir slowly from the floor and rubbed her eyes before taking in her surroundings. "What is this place?" she asked; her mouth open in wonder.

"My ship of course." The Doctor replied nonchalantly. "And now it's time we return you to yours." he smiled; offering her a hand up.

As they walked to the door she stopped and turned to him. "I just want to say thank you," she smiled. "You saved my life."

"Well, you technically helped me get back my ship, so let's call it even." he replied, extending his hand.

Ida looked at him in bemusement before reaching out to shake the offered appendage. "Really though, Thank you Doctor."

He nodded as she turned to exit the ship and then headed back to the controls.

After a few minutes, he heard the key in the lock and the door burst open. Rose stared at him; slightly in shock and then a grin began to spread across her features, only to be mirrored across his face as well, and then they were running towards one another. He scooped her up into his arms, holding her tightly against him as her feet dangled in the air. She encircled her arms around his neck; breathing in his scent as he began to swing her back and forth, both of them giggling with happiness. Setting her down, he leaned in and kissed her deeply.

"I was so scared." she whispered as he pulled back.

"Me too." he replied softly; running his thumb over the apple of her cheek.

"Doctor, we're ready when you are." Zach's voice filled the room; interrupting their reunion.

"Right." he replied moving back towards the console as he quickly divested himself of his spacesuit. Tossing the garment over the jumpseat, he adjusted his tie and slipped his trainers back on. "Okay," he flipped a few levers, releasing the rocket from the TARDIS's gravity field. "You're good to go. Have a safe trip home. And the next time you get curious about something," he sighed and shook his head. "Oh, what's the point. You'll just go blundering in." he leaned forward to nuzzle Rose's nose. "The human race." he mused.

"But Doctor, what did you find down there?" Ida inquired. "That creature, what was it?"

"I dunno," he shrugged. "Never did decipher that writing. But that's good. Day I know everything, might as well stop." his grin faded when he saw the look on Rose's face.

"It said I was gonna die soon." she said softly.

He took her face in his hands and looked deep into her eyes. "It lied." he said firmly.

She attempted a weak smile. The fear and anger raging within were battling for control and she pulled away from him slightly; running her fingers along the console as she tried to regain control. The fact that he was alive filled her with elation, but he had also been reckless according to what Ida had told her about him leaping into the pit. She had almost lost him…again and this time it would have been by his own doing. The revelation that he had completely disregarded his life for an unknown outcome made her unbelievably angry and you do not want to anger a Tyler woman. Especially a pregnant one.

"Right, onwards and upwards." The Doctor declared as he continued his goodbyes to the crew. "Ida, see you again…maybe."

"I hope so." Ida agreed.

"And thanks boys!" Rose added sincerely. She may not have been happy about them making her leave The Doctor behind, but she knew they were only trying to help her and she was grateful to them for that.

"Hold on though Doctor," Ida interjected. "You never really said. You two, who are you?"

"Oh," he paused, glancing over at Rose; a tender smile gracing his lips. "The Stuff of Legend."

His statement was matter of fact, because in his eyes, that's who they were. Each of them a separate piece, that when put together fit perfectly, forming a single entity. And together, always seemingly making the impossible possible.

He flipped the last lever, sending them into the vortex and when he looked up he noticed Rose had moved to the opposite side of the console with her back to him. He figured she must be just as exhausted as he was and that they could both do with a relaxing evening.

"So," he began as he moved to stand in front of her. "How about I make you a cup of that special herbal tea we picked up on Belannia II? Just what you need after a day like this a nice relaxing cup of…" His suggestion was immediately abandoned as a loud cracking sound filled the air. He definitely hadn't been expecting it, but at that moment he realized that Rose Tyler could definitely give her mother's slap a run for its money. He looked at her with wide eyes as he cradled his stinging cheek. "What was that for?"

"What the hell were you thinkin' goin' into that pit?" she yelled back at him.

"Rose, I had to do something to get out of there." He tried to explain. "I was trying to find a way back to you."

"Oh, so you thought '_Oh look, there's a big, dark, hole in the ground. Don't know what's down there or if I'll survive, but hey, let's jump in anyway_.' 'Cause I gotta say Doctor, that was your best plan ever." Her sarcastic tone was not at all lost on him.

"What would you have me do?" he growled back; his own pent up anger from the past two days now starting to spill out. "Just sit around; twiddling my thumbs and making meaningful chit chat as I waited for the air to run out? It was my responsibility to take action, that's who I am!"

"Oh don't you go gettin' all '_oncoming storm_' with me!" she bit back. "You had no idea how deep that thing was. You could've died falling down there."

"I would have regenerated!" he shouted back. His face was now inches from hers and he wasn't even aware he had moved. His hearts were pounding as the adrenaline coursed through his body and his eyes flickered briefly to her lips.

"Oh, of course, I forgot." she threw her hands in the air. "That makes it all better then. Of all the stupid, arrogant reasons to…"

Before she could finish her sentence his lips came crashing down on hers as she was pushed backwards and into one of the coral struts. She moaned as he pressed his arousal against her, and he quickly deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue along hers. He yanked down the zip of her jacket and pushed it down her arms; tossing it behind him as her hands moved from griping his shoulders to running through his thick chocolate locks.

"I almost lost you today." She breathed out as his lips found her pulse point.

"Never," he mumbled into her neck and then pulled back slightly to look into her eyes. "I will always find a way back to you."

Claiming her mouth once more and using the wall as leverage, he lifted her up so that she could wrap her legs tightly around his waist and then he quickly carried her down the corridor and into their bedroom; kicking the door shut behind him.


	7. Chapter 7

**I was not a big fan of the episode Love and Monsters. It wasn't horrible, but I felt that it was just one of those filler episodes that a lot of shows have and thus a wasted opportunity for more Doctor and Rose fluff; considering Billie was leaving at the end of the season. For that same line of reasoning about filler episodes, I will also be skipping The Doctor's Daughter in season 4. I apologize in advance to anyone that liked that character, but seeing as she really hasn't been mentioned since that episode, I didn't feel she was important to my AU storyline. Now watch, now that I've said that, Capaldi's Doctor will probably mention her sometime this season. LOL!**

**Also, one of the scenes in this chapter was inspired by a clip in Army of Ghosts in which The Doctor and Rose are running along hand in hand, and laughing while looking over their shoulders. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7 - Hello Stranger<strong>

Rose had been watching The Doctor stare off into space from his position on the jumpseat for over five minutes now. His usual manic energy had been sparse as of late and she was starting to get a little worried.

"Doctor," she called out. He turned his head towards her; finally noticing her presence in the room and plastered a smile on his face that didn't quite meet his eyes. She sighed and walked over to sit beside him; taking his hand in hers. "So, I noticed we've been floatin' about in the vortex for almost two weeks now. You gonna tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing." he shrugged off the question. "The TARDIS needed some routine maintenance and I thought you could do with some rest."

It was an outright lie and she knew it. He was giving her that same look he gave whenever he told her he was '_always alright'_, and she bit back her urge to call him on it. She couldn't keep having this same argument with him when she knew he wasn't going to give her a real answer. Although their relationship had progressed so deeply, he still had trouble opening up to her about certain things. She could only hope that in time, if she remained patient he would eventually break down those final walls.

"Fine, but I think I've had my fill of rest, yeah? So if you're not ready for another adventure right away, I did promise mum I would help her pack up Mickey's flat."

"Right." The Doctor began rubbing the back of his neck. "Forgot about that. Okay," he hopped to his feet and began setting the coordinates. "2007, Powell Estates. London, Earth. Let's say a couple days after our last visit?" he looked to her for confirmation.

Rose nodded "Yeah, that should be fine."

"You sure you're up for this?" he looked at her pointedly. "You can always wait a little bit longer if you need to." He gestured around the room with his finger. "Time Machine, remember."

She gave him a soft smile. "Really, S' fine. I can't keep puttin' it off and S' gonna be hard for me no matter when I do it. Might as well get it over with."

"We should be there in just a few minutes then." he walked over and pulled her up from the jumpseat and into his arms. "You want me to come with?"

"No." she shook her head. "Me and Mum can handle it. S' somethin' the two of us jus' need to do alone."

"Well, I've got plenty around here to tinker with anyway so I should be fine on my own for a bit."

She smiled up at him. "Jus' don't go messin' with anymore of the appliances while M' gone. The TARDIS is still upset at you for almost burnin' down the kitchen when you tried to upgrade the microwave." The TARDIS gave a small hum of agreement and The Doctor scowled.

"I'll have you know that upgrade was practical." he said in attempt to mount a defense. "I was trying to raise the cooking temperature to oven standards."

"But we already have an oven."

"Yes, but this would have cooked things at the temperature of an oven at half the time." he argued.

"And yet, all it managed to do was set the kitchen on fire." she replied trying to hold back her laughter.

"Simple trial and error."

"Mmhmm." she grinned, pulling him into a kiss.

"I was thinking," he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin atop her head. "I know cleaning out Mickey's place is going to be difficult for you and there's probably going to be a lot of stuff to go through, but his room is still here you know. So if you want, instead of having to make decisions on what to keep and not to keep, you could always just box it all up and store it here. If that would make it easier on you, I mean." Looking back down at her he noticed her eyes were shining, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. "Rose?" He reached up and brushed it away with his thumb.

"I jus'…" She shook her head and then pulled him down towards her to kiss him again. Pulling back, she rested her forehead against his and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thank you." she whispered.

**-oOo-**

"Have you at least been gettin' some rest in between all that runnin' around?" Jackie asked her daughter as she pulled the last glass from the kitchen cupboard and wrapped it in newspaper.

"Yeah." Rose was pulling video games from the entertainment center and placing them in a large cardboard box. "Almost too much actually."

"Whadd'ya mean?" her mother inquired.

"Well, so far we've spent about two weeks jus' hangin' out in the TARDIS."

"Two weeks? But I jus' saw the pair of ya a couple days ago. How long you really been gone?"

"Hmmm," Rose paused trying to calculate in her head. "I'd say three weeks, maybe four."

Jackie huffed. "Time travel. S' still so confusin'. I wouldn't be surprised if you and him had been together for a lot longer than I thought. Although you probably wouldn't tell me."

"Mum, don't start." Rose rolled her eyes as she moved on to packing the DVD's.

"M' jus' sayin' that I hope when you have the baby, you won't wait so long between visits that she'll already be of votin' age before I see her again."

Rose sighed and stood up. Walking into the kitchen she stepped up to her mother and gave her a hug. "You know I wouldn't do that to you."

"But you could still be gone years at a time, and I would only think a couple of days had passed." Her mother protested.

"Well, that may be true, but I promise we'll try to make regular visits, yeah?" She assured her. "'Cause it would be a crime for her to not be able to be spoiled by her grandmother."

Jackie laughed. "I still can't believe M' gonna be a grandmother."

"Yeah, well you better get used to it." Rose laughed as well and then glanced around the kitchen. "Looks like you've pretty much got everythin' packed in here."

Her mother finished taping the last box shut. "Still need to clear out the fridge though." They both winced. "Better get it over with."

Standing in front of the small refrigerator, the two women shared a look of trepidation.

"Ready?" Rose asked and Jackie nodded.

They counted to three and then Rose opened the door.

**-oOo-**

"I swear, I don't think that boy ever did much cookin'." Jackie said once they had returned from the dumpster. "How long you reckon' those take out boxes were in there."

"Long enough for the plant life they sprouted to practically crawl out of the fridge on their own." Rose replied with a grimace. "I thought I was well past my mornin' sickness, but that smell almost brought it back."

They had moved on to Mickey's room, and Jackie was pulling clothes from the closet and folding them into piles on the bed while Rose removed photos from the wall.

"So have you started havin' cravings yet?"

Rose was smiling at the various photos of UFO's that adorned the walls as well as hand drawn pictures of the TARDIS. "Sorry, what?" she replied looking back at her mother.

"I said, have you had any cravings yet?" she asked, placing another shirt in the pile.

"Not really. Although, since the pregnancy's a bit longer than normal, The Doctor said some of those experiences may not occur till about the third month."

"Jus' so you know, there will probably be plenty of things that you love now, but won't be able to stand later and things you absolutely hate that you'll suddenly want. You know how much I dislike green olives, but when I was pregnant with you, I would eat jars of those things. Oh, and I couldn't stand your dad's aftershave. I got nauseous every time I smelled it. Drove him barmy it did, 'cause it was his favorite brand. Wouldn't let him use it while I was in the flat and refused to let him near me unless he'd washed off the scent completely."

Rose laughed. "Well so far, the only smell that's made me feel sick was that vegetation we removed from Mickey's fridge."

Jackie joined in on her daughter's laughter as she placed several pairs of tennis shoes in a box. "Well the main thing is jus' make sure you stay away from alcohol and caffeine. Alien or not, S' bad for the baby."

Rose nodded as she unpinned a large poster of an astronaut and began to roll it up. The Doctor had located a few books on Gallifreyan pregnancies in the TARDIS library so she already had some information about what to expect, but she really enjoyed having this time to talk with her mother and allow her to impart her own wisdom and experiences on the subject.

"And don't forget your hormones will probably be all over the place most of the time." Jackie continued. "S' to be expected. You'll get mad a little easier, you'll cry over the littlest things, and of course there's the added sex drive."

"Mum," Rose admonished softly, definitely not wanting to drift into that topic with her.

"What?" she shrugged. "S' true. Besides, I suspect you've already experienced that part considerin' your appearance when you two showed up for breakfast the other day."

Rose almost dropped the box of photos she was holding and then quickly set it down on the bed. Blushing bright red, she attempted to think of some way to change the subject when her mother did it for her.

"So you're jus' gonna store all this stuff in that box of his then?"

"Yeah," Rose nodded. "The TARDIS kept Mickey's room, so The Doctor said we can store all this stuff in there until I'm ready to go through it."

"That's nice of him." Her mother murmured. "And M' glad that those two were able to put aside their differences. I know things were tense for a while when you first left, but I think Mickey really grew to respect The Doctor."

"Yeah he did." Rose said softly. "And even though he wouldn't admit it, The Doctor respected him too. I think he even misses him."

Jackie smiled as she reached over and picked up a photo frame from Mickey's computer desk. "The last couple of days I kept expectin' him to come bargin' into the flat and raidin' the fridge like he used to." she said sadly.

Rose put her head on her mother's shoulder as she looked down at the picture in her hand. It was taken the previous Christmas right after the Sycorax had been defeated. Jackie had managed to get one of the neighbors to take the photo. The four of them were standing in front of the TARDIS. She had one arm around Mickey and the other around The Doctor; who had his other arm around Jackie and they were all grinning happily.

"I know, I miss him too." she wiped away a tear.

The two women turned to one another and embraced for a moment. Finally Jackie pulled back, wiping her eyes. "Alright, enough of that now." She shook her head. "We're almost done in here and then we jus' have one room left."

Rose groaned. "Oh can't we jus' leave it? Put up his 'Closed' sign on the door and tape it shut?"

"Rose, M' sure the bathroom isn't that bad." Her mother chided as she pushed past her into the small lavatory.

It took about ten seconds; Rose counted, before Jackie came back out into the bedroom. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow as she watched her mother pick up the tape gun.

"Alright, where'd you put that sign?"

**-oOo-**

The Doctor had attempted some tinkering on the time rotor, he really had, but his hearts just weren't in it. Instead he sat, replaying his earlier conversation with Rose over and over again in his mind. The truth was the events on Krop Tor had affected him more than he was willing to let on. He was lucky, he knew that much. Jumping into that pit had been a huge risk, but at the time, he didn't have any other real choice and he wasn't just going to sit idly by as he suffocated through his last few regenerations. He was starting to feel fluctuations in the timeline again, and it as was beginning to unnerve him. The possible future in which he could lose Rose was nearing and he could feel it, the warnings his daughter had given him looming in his mind. He knew Rose was starting to sense that something was wrong, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her. After losing Mickey and then almost losing him to the beast, she didn't need the extra stress on top of the pregnancy. The sound of the console phone ringing brought him out of his thoughts and he reached over to pick it up.

"Hello beautiful." he smiled into the receiver.

"Hey you." Rose giggled softly.

"All done then?"

"Yeah, she sighed warily. "Looks like we've got everything packed up."

"Alright," he began starting the dematerialization sequence. "Give me a minute, and I'll land the TARDIS inside the flat so we can move the boxes on board."

"Okay." she agreed and ended the call.

About a minute later the sound of the TARDIS's engines filled the flat. The two women stood near the kitchen as they watched the big blue box materialize within the living room.

The doors opened and The Doctor poked his head out, looking around. When his gaze settled on Rose and Jackie he grinned. "Someone call for a mover?"

**-oOo-**

Once all of the boxes had been loaded, the TARDIS quickly transferred them to Mickey's old room for storage. The Doctor gave Jackie a hug, but remained inside while Rose walked her out and said her own goodbyes, promising to visit again soon. When she came back through the doors, he was already at the console setting the coordinates for their next destination.

"You know," he met her at the top of the ramp and pulled her against him. "The TARDIS could use a bit of refueling and you need to eat something as well, so I figured we could stop off at the rift in Cardiff for a bit and maybe grab some chips for dinner. What do you say?"

"I say you're too good to me," she wrapped her arms around his neck. "And chips sound heavenly." she smiled.

He grinned right back and leaned down to kiss her soundly.

She groaned softly as she pulled away. "M' feelin' a little bit icky though from all the packin'. M' jus' gonna go grab a quick shower and change." she gave him another quick kiss and headed down the corridor.

After a soothing shower, she quickly blow-dried her hair and slipped on a pair of blue jeans and white shirt. Since the temperature in Cardiff would no doubt be a little cooler during the evening, she grabbed her black hoodie and slipped it on before re-joining The Doctor.

He was slipping his arms into the sleeves of his long brown coat when she entered the room. Smiling, he adjusted the collar and then held out his hand wiggling his fingers. "We're here. Ready to go?"

"Yep." she returned his smile; popping the "P" and slipped her hand into his as he led them to the door.

**-oOo-**

Oh, but these are gorgeous." she moaned as she bit into a chip, the salt and vinegar flavor exploding over her tongue.

The Doctor was watching her with rapt attention. His mouth slightly ajar and adam's apple bobbing visibly.

The chippy hadn't been too crowded that evening, so he was able to get them a nice booth towards the back of the room for more privacy. When he returned with their order a few minutes later, she immediately tucked into her food, making noises that could be considered to some as quite obscene.

"What?" she inquired innocently when she noticed him staring.

"You keep that up, I'm going to have to drag you back to the TARDIS and have my way with you." He whispered huskily.

"Promise?" she grinned; tongue in teeth as she reached for another chip.

His eyes darkened slightly and he raised an eyebrow as he leaned closer. "You, Miss Tyler, are incorrigible."

"I can't help it." She giggled, popping the chip in her mouth. "These are fantastic." She chewed thoughtfully. "Maybe M' startin' to have those cravings that mum was talkin' about."

"Guess that means I'll have to make sure the TARDIS kitchen is fully stocked for all the weird concoctions you'll be requesting soon."

"Oi!" She slapped his arm playfully. "Jus' 'cause M' havin' cravings doesn't automatically mean M' gonna start eatin' anything weird."

"You could though. It's a perfectly normal effect of pregnancy." He speared a chip with his fork and held it up as if studying it. "The theory is that cravings are the body's way of getting a specific nutrient it needs, like calcium or protein and then it's all pretty much left up to your taste buds to decide what you want. Since your hormone levels are heightened, both your senses of taste and smell can be easily altered and therefore it's possible that you might just crave a mixture of strange things all at once. In fact, did you know that on Marpesia, during pregnancy the female species would mix raw…"

"Doctor," Rose interrupted quickly.

"Hmm?" his gaze drifted from his fork back to her.

"Think very carefully. Is this story gonna have an effect on my appetite?"

He paused, contemplating and then cleared his throat. "So, did you have fun with your mother today?"

Rose chuckled and popped another chip in her mouth as she began to regale him with tales of the 'Evil Plant Monster' they pulled from Mickey's fridge and the bathroom that Jackie declared a lost cause. By the end of her story, they were both laughing so hard, one of the employees had to politely ask that they to keep the noise down.

Once they had managed to regain their composure and finish dinner, The Doctor disposed of their trash in the receptacle and suggested a leisurely stroll. They walked hand in hand perusing several of the shops that lined the street. The Doctor stopped short as they passed a toy store and with a huge grin, pulled Rose quickly inside.

It had been a long time since she had been in one, and she couldn't help but smile at the way The Doctor was bouncing from aisle to aisle in awe of the various toys that lined the shelves. Slipping on his glasses he picked up a deluxe model kit of a castle and studied the contents.

"What made you want to come in here?" she asked as she rested her chin on his shoulder and looked down at the box in his hands.

"I thought you might like to start shopping for some baby stuff." He placed the box back on the shelf and turned to her with a questionable look on his face. "Too soon?"

Giggling softly she took his hands in hers and smiled up at him. "Not at all. S' very sweet of you actually."

He grinned as leaned down to kiss her, but his gaze was suddenly diverted over her shoulder and his eyes widened. "Oh, look Rose. Remote control cars!" he exclaimed excitedly as he pulled her across the room.

While The Doctor occupied himself by looking over the various RC vehicles on display, she made her way over to the 'pinker' section of the store. She didn't know if it was the hormones talking, or maybe just because she knew she was having a little girl, but everything she looked at just seemed so…adorable. She had just picked up a cuddly looking stuffed brown bear and was adjusting the bow around its neck when something breezed past her head, blowing the hair back from her face.

"Check it out Rose." The Doctor boasted excitedly as he came around the corner with a controller in his hands. "The original settings on this thing were rubbish, but with a few modifications from the ol' sonic screwdriver, I was able to recalibrate the helicopter's speed and velocity to give better trajectory for a more accurate flight simulation."

"Um, are you sure that was a good idea?" she watched as the helicopter narrowly missed sideswiping the 'sale' sign hanging from the ceiling. "I mean, won't the store people be upset when their toys start explodin' all over the place?"

The Doctor scowled. "You blow up one microwave…"

"And mum's toaster oven." she added.

"It's not going to explode." He sniffed and raised his chin defiantly. "I just fixed it so that it would fly more accurately."

At that moment, the helicopter seemed to have its own ideas regarding accuracy, as the next sweep across the room sent it straight into one of the lesser filled shelves which collapsed and fell backwards creating a domino effect on the other three shelves behind it.

"Oi!" The store manager shouted as he ran out from behind the front register. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Rose?"

"Yes Doctor?"

"Run." With a grin, he tossed the controller behind him and grabbed her hand as they headed towards the door.

They could hear the manager calling out for security as they quickly made their exit and took off back in the direction of the TARDIS. Hand in hand, they ran along the sidewalk; laughing and dodging the other evening shoppers.

"I think we lost them." Rose managed to get out amidst her giggling.

They confirmed her statement with a quick glance over their shoulders and as they looked back at one another, their grins grew equally broader. The Doctor gave a slight bounce to his gait which just made her laugh even harder as they continued on down the street. Once they had rounded the next corner, they stopped to catch their breath; the combination of running and laughing at the same time finally catching up with them. When they were positive the 'toy police' were not going to show up and haul them off to jail for the night, they returned to their leisurely pace as they made their way back to the TARDIS.

"S' such a beautiful night." Rose mused as they stopped to look out over Cardiff bay. Turning to The Doctor, she slid her hands up his chest and then encircled her arms around his neck. "I had fun tonight. Even though we were almost arrested again." He laughed and she gave him a tongue in tooth smile. "But seriously though, this has been a wonderful evenin'. Thank you."

The Doctor smiled and wrapped his own arms around her waist pulling her flush against him. "You're welcome." he whispered as he leaned in to nuzzle her nose.

They stood for a moment, staring into one another's eyes and enjoying the warmth of their embrace in contrast to the cool night air before The Doctor's mouth finally descended upon hers; punctuating their perfect evening. The kiss was tender and yet passionate at the same time as they poured their love into one another without words.

"Well, I never thought I'd live to see the day." a familiar American accent called out, breaking them out of their intimate moment. "Well technically, I didn't."

The pair stared at the figure before them in stunned silence for a moment before Rose finally found her voice. "Oh my god," she breathed out. "Jack?"

"Hello Stranger." he grinned; holding out his arms.

Letting go of The Doctor, she ran over to Jack and wrapped her arms around his waist as he engulfed her in a bear hug. "I can't believe you're here. I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, Rosie." he kissed the top of her head before glancing up at the Time Lord who stood silently; watching the two friends embrace. "Doctor." he nodded.

"Captain." The Doctor nodded back.

"You look good." Jack gave him an appreciative once over.

"And you, same as ever. Although," The Doctor squinted and tilted his head slightly. "Have you had some work done?"

Rose bit down on her bottom lip to stifle a giggle as Jack raised an eyebrow in slight offense.

"You can talk." The Captain fired back.

The Time Lord blinked in confusion for a moment and then his eyebrows shot up in recognition. "Oh, right." he nodded. "New face from the regeneration." he cocked his head. "How'd you know it was me?"

"Well for one thing, I always knew Rosie here would never settle for anyone but you, so she wouldn't be out here making out with some random guy." he looked down at Rose who was now blushing. "And I also happen to have a special Doctor detector that lets me know when you're nearby. Plus," he gestured behind him with his thumb. "That big blue box over there was a dead giveaway."

The Doctor nodded again, and reached out for Rose; pulling her back to his side and wrapping his arms around her waist. Jack allowed a small grin as he remembered how possessive the first Doctor had been when he traveled with them. Apparently this one wasn't that much different.

"I was just heading out for a drink." The Captain continued. "Why don't the two of you join me? My treat."

Rose looked up at The Doctor with pleading eyes as she rested her chin against his chest.

"Oh, alright." he sighed in defeat and she gave him another one of her signature smiles. "But then we're getting you home and into bed." He looked up to see Jack grinning like a loon. "What?"

"Nothing." Jack held his hands up in defense. "Come on you two. I know a great place, not far from here."

Rose slipped her hand back into The Doctor's. "Lead the way Captain." she smiled and the trio headed off down the street.

**-oOo-**

"I just have to say, it's about damn time." Jack said to the pair as he opened the door to the Buffalo Bar. "In fact, I think this calls for a celebration of sorts. Maybe some champagne, what do you think."

"Um," Rose looked up at The Doctor and he nodded with a small grin. "I can't Jack."

The Captain turned back to face her. "But I thought you loved champagne." he replied confusedly.

"I do, yeah. S' jus'…" she paused and with one more reassuring look from The Doctor she continued. "Alcohol would hurt the baby."

Jack's jaw dropped as he glanced between the pair with wide eyes. "You're…" he let out the breath he took when he heard her say 'baby'. "You're pregnant?"

Rose and The Doctor nodded simultaneously; the grins adorning their faces only giving more proof that not only was it true, but they were ecstatic about it.

"Oh, Yes!" Jack shouted enveloping Rose in another hug and then releasing her to do the same to The Doctor.

Rose giggled as she watched the two men practically dancing on the spot as they embraced.

"Alright you two." she tried to calm her laughter as she tapped them on the shoulders. "People are startin' to stare."

The two men exchanged an awkward look and then The Doctor cleared his throat, taking Rose's hand. "So, drinks then?"

"Right." The Captain nodded as they headed over to a small booth. "The usual Doc, or have your taste buds changed too?"

"Whatever's on tap is fine." The Doctor chuckled.

"What about you Rosie? Lemonade, sparkling water, tea?"

"I really want an ice cream float." she replied dreamily and licked her lips.

"Um," Jack squinted as he tried to hide a smile. "I don't think they have those here."

"Oh." she frowned.

"I promise we'll make you one when we get back to the TARDIS." The Doctor assured her as he kissed the pout from her lips.

"Okay," her smile returned. "I guess lemonade is fine."

Jack was smirking at the pair when she turned back towards him. "The two of you are so adorable." he laughed as he signaled the waiter to take their order.

The conversation consisted of mainly reminiscing about their early travels. Rose had forgotten just how many of those adventures somehow involved Jack being naked. The Doctor hadn't so much forgotten as he had tried to pretend it never happened. He attempted to change the subject each time, but finally realized he couldn't actually think of a time in which the Captain didn't lose his clothes and promptly gave up. Rose told Jack about their trips to New Earth, and their encounter with Queen Victoria and the werewolf but when she attempted to ask him why he chose to stay behind on the gamestation instead of traveling with them, his demeanor briefly dissolved into slight irritation yet with a hint of sadness in his eyes. She could have sworn she saw his eyes flick over to The Doctor for a second, but then he had plastered on one of his; as she called it "toothpaste commercial smiles", and brushed off the topic with a couple of vague answers about work that needed to be done before moving on to talk about his move from the time agency to heading up Torchwood Three there in Cardiff. Rose could once again tell that another one of the important men in her life was being less than honest, but mad a mental note that she would try to coax it out of him later.

The Doctor in the meantime had been pondering the name of Jack's new institution. "Torchwood," The Doctor murmured. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"Well, for the most part, we basically just monitor and police alien activity around the rift. Although we have occasionally worked with Unit. Maybe they mentioned us in passing." Jack offered.

The Time Lord still couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling that name brought to him.

"Anyway, enough about me." Jack continued. "What I want to know is how _this_ happened." he gestured between the two.

The Doctor was currently sitting with his arm wrapped around Rose's shoulder while her hand rested on his knee.

"Specifically the how you came to be pregnant part." he pointed at Rose's stomach. "And uh, don't spare the details." he wagged his eyebrows.

"Oh, don't start." moaned The Doctor.

"What?" Jack crossed his arms. "Oh come on. You can't expect me to not want details after all those months of the two of you dancing around one another with all that pent up sexual tension. Hell, because of the two of you, I needed cold showers every day."

"We were not…" The Doctor started to protest. "I mean, there was no…"

"Are you kidding me?" Jack interrupted. "Mr. 'I'm too afraid to make a move, but if you so much as smile at her the wrong way, I'll chuck you out an airlock'.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow as Jack gave him a defiant look that said 'argue with that'.

Rose glanced between the pair and chuckled softly as she shook her head. "As much as M' enjoin' watchin' the two of you bicker like a couple of old ladies, I need to make a quick trip to the loo." she leaned over to give The Doctor a kiss. "Back in a mo'." As she stood up, she turned to face them once more and pointed to each of them in turn. "Try to behave yourselves while M' gone, yeah?"

The two men nodded with sheepish grins and waited until she was a good distance away to start the conversation they knew would happen as soon as they met up again.

"I've been looking for the two of you for a long time you know." Jack clasped his hands together and leaned forward slightly focusing on The Doctor. "You abandoned me." his words were bitter, but also pained.

"Yeah, I did." he agreed, meeting The Captain's eyes.

"I take it you also know what's wrong with me then?" The Time Lord nodded in verification and Jack pursed his lips. "How long have you known?"

The Doctor shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Ever since I ran away from you." he looked away. "I can't help it Jack, you're just…wrong. You're a fixed point in time and space. I'm a Time Lord, so just being around you makes me kind of...ill. No offense."

"Right, thanks." Jack replied sarcastically and then looked down at his hands for a moment. "So then, what happened to me?"

"What do you remember?"

"I was facing down three Daleks, and then…" he shuddered. "Death by extermination. But then suddenly I was alive again." The Captain shook his head. "How?"

The Doctor looked back at his friend. "Rose."

"I thought you sent her home."

"She came back. She opened the heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the entire vortex. No one was ever meant to have that power. If a Time Lord did that they'd become a god; a vengeful god." The Doctor ran a hand over his face and then sat back, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at the table. "But she's human, so full of passion and love. She destroyed the entire Dalek fleet and put an end to the time war...just to save me." His eyes flicked back up to meet Jack's. "And she brought you back to life." The Captain swallowed roughly. "But she couldn't control it. She brought you back forever." he sighed, tugging on his ear. "I never told her any of this."

"I figured as much, considering her reaction to seeing me." Jack replied irritably. "Can she change me back?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I took the power from her. It's why I regenerated."

Jack's eyes widened. "Does she know that's why you changed?"

"No." he replied quietly.

"Because you think she'll blame herself for killing you." The Captain nodded in understanding. "Look, I'm not expecting you to tell her about me, that can come later, but you need to tell her why you regenerated. She deserves to know. You have a baby coming now and the last thing you need is secrets between the two of you." Jack stared at him pointedly.

The Doctor was silent for a moment. "I shouldn't have left you there Jack." he said sincerely. "I'm sorry."

Their eyes met, and Jack could see the regret in the Time Lord's deep brown orbs, making his anger dissipate rapidly.

"Everythin' okay?" Rose's voice cut through the silence, startling the pair who hadn't noticed her return. She was looking between them worriedly as she waited for a response.

"Everything's fine." The Doctor reassured her as he took her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "I was just telling the Doc here that if he wouldn't give me the juicy details about your budding romance, then I would just have to charm them out of you over lunch one of these days." he gave her his signature wink and The Doctor groaned and rolled his eyes.

Rose was still sensing a bit of tension, but since they were both keeping the details of their real conversation to themselves, she decided not to pry further for the time being. Sitting back down, she leaned her head against The Doctor's shoulder and tried to stifle a yawn, but he noticed anyway.

"It's getting late, and we should get you home."

"But we just found Jack again." she whined softly. "There's still a lot of catchin' up to do."

"Don't worry Rosie." Jack smiled as they stood up from the table and headed out the door. "We'll get together again soon." As he wrapped his arms around her, he lowered his voice. "I told you I wanted details remember?"

Rose giggled as she hugged her friend tightly. "Can't wait. I really did miss you Jack."

"Missed you too." he pressed a kiss to her forehead and she stepped away to allow the two men to say to goodbye to one another."

The Doctor held out his hand and Jack stared at it for a moment. He shook his head and smirked before pulling the other man into a hug. "I forgive you Doc." he whispered in the Time Lord's ear.

The Doctor smiled and patted The Captain on the back. "About what you said," he spoke quietly. "You're right, she needs to know. No more secrets. I'm going to tell her everything tonight."

Jack pulled back and met his eyes. "Make sure she knows that neither of us blame her for what happened."

"I will." The Doctor nodded and stepped back to take Rose's hand.

"Don't be strangers." Jack pointed between the pair with a grin and then turned to head back towards the Hub. "Oh, and Rose?" he called back over his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say thank you and if you need to talk later, call me." he held his hand up to his ear in the universal gesture for telephone.

Rose looked back at The Doctor in confusion.

"Come on," he tugged her towards the TARDIS. "Let's go home."

**-oOo-**

The walk back to the TARDIS was quiet, a huge change from the happy demeanor the two shared earlier in the evening. Rose kept casting sideways glances at The Doctor, but he seemed to be too lost in thought to notice. As they stepped through the door, he released her hand and made his way over to the console to send them into the vortex.

Rose knew something was going on and she needed to get to the bottom of it. Preferably without starting a fight. She stood contemplating as she chewed her bottom lip and then finally, she spoke. "S' strange."

"Hmm?" The Doctor replied absentmindedly as he began the dematerialization sequence."

"Somethin' Jack said earlier. When he said that he never thought he'd live to see the day, that technically he didn't." she paused as his eyes finally met hers. "What did he mean?"

He shrugged. "You know Jack likes to joke around."

"Yeah, and I also know the two of you seemed to be havin' some sort a' serious discussion back at the bar and then you both clammed up the minute I came back to the table.

The Doctor swallowed and began tugging his ear. He promised Jack earlier he was going to tell her, and he was, but he had no idea where to begin. Luckily, she picked the starting point for him.

"What happened between the two of you on Satellite 5?"

He walked across the room and took her hand in his, leading her over to the jumpseat.

"How much about that day do you remember?" he asked as they sat down facing one another.

"Bits and pieces. I remember trying' to get back to you. Mickey helped me open the heart of the TARDIS and there was this beautiful melody." She could almost still hear it in the back of her mind. "Then I woke up on the floor, you made a joke about singin' to the Daleks and makin' them run away and then…" she took a breath. "You exploded right in front of me."

He nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't prepare you for that."

"S' okay." She squeezed his hand. "You're still you, no matter what form you're in, and it doesn't change how I feel."

He smiled softly and placed his other hand over the one currently entwined with hers. "Rose, there are things I haven't told you, but you need to know…"

"So tell me then." she cut him off mirroring his action with her other hand.

He looked down for a moment and then brought his eyes back to hers. "When you looked into the TARDIS's heart, you absorbed the entire time vortex and you became a sort of…goddess."

She snorted softly and gave a half smile. "Me, a goddess?"

"Yes." He replied sincerely. "Do you remember the phrase '_Bad Wolf', _The one that followed us everywhere?" she nodded. "It turns out that you were the _Bad Wolf_ all along. You sent those words to us as a warning."

She shook her head in confusion. "A warning for what?"

"You said that you had created yourself. You used those words as a message to lead you back to me."

"So I…I'm really the Bad Wolf?" she stammered. A memory flashed through her mind. '_I take the words__;__I scatter them in time and space. A message to lead myself here_.' She attempted to shake off the image as another one formed. Deep in the dungeons of Queen Victoria's estate, the dark eyes of the werewolf bored into her soul. '_There's something of the wolf about you._' she was so focused on the image; she almost missed what The Doctor said next.

"You destroyed the entire Dalek fleet. You turned them to dust…for me."

"But how?" her mouth dropped open. "I don't…" Another flash and she closed her eyes. '_I can see the whole of time and space. Every single atom of your existence, and I divide them._' The Daleks were disintegrating and their leader was screaming in defiance. The memories were coming faster now, as if the door that had been leaking them was now yanked wide open.

"Jack had taken a group of volunteers to the lower levels to buy me some time, but they…" he swallowed roughly and she opened her eyes to meet his. "None of them made it, and Jack was killed when the Daleks breached the last floor. You brought him back to life."

'_I bring life'_. The memory made her gasp and jerk her hands away. "But, if I brought him back…if you knew he was alive, why did you jus' leave him there." She asked; her voice wavering.

He ran a hand through his hair. "I had to Rose, I was on the verge of regenerating and I needed to make sure you were safe."

"But we could a' gone back for him. You said he was fine, that he was rebuildin' the station." She shook her head and crossed her arms. "But you jus' abandoned him didn't you?"

"Yes."

Her eyebrows shot up at the abrupt honesty of his statement.

He sighed before continuing. "I left him because he was changed Rose. He feels…wrong now."

"What are you on about?" she stared at him, trying to comprehend what he was saying.

"The power you used to bring him back," he explained. "You couldn't control it and it made him immortal. He's a fixed point in time now. For a Time Lord, it's like having a continuous migraine just from looking at him."

Rose felt her stomach churn slightly. "So I made him immortal and now…what, he'll live forever?"

"Most likely, yes." He nodded. "From what he's told me, he can still be killed, but he always comes back."

"Comes back? How many times has he died?"

"Rose," he said softly.

"How many?" he voice increased in pitch.

"I don't know."

She bit her bottom lip and attempted to hold back the tears that were now forming behind her eyes. "I can't believe I..." Her voice trailed off as her mind started racing. If she destroyed the Daleks and resurrected Jack, what else did she do while under the influence of the Bad Wolf? "What else did I do?"

He was starting to feel anxious. He had hoped she would at least take a few moments to absorb the information before he told her the rest, but she was determined to get answers.

"What else Doctor?" she asked again as he finally gave her back his attention. "You said I stopped the Daleks, yeah? So then what happened to you? Did they hurt you before I got there?"

"No." his voice was quieter now and he took her hands once more in an attempt to keep her calm. "The power you took from the vortex was killing you and it had to be removed."

"No," she whispered, shaking her head at the thought that now presented itself; unbidden to her mind. "No."

"You were dying Rose."

The memory that hit her then was the most vivid of them all. She could see everything. The timelines before her; golden strands twisting and turning, coming together and entwining all around her and then pain. _'Why does it hurt?' _

"No, no, no." she tried to pull her hands away again as the floodgates began to open, but he refused to let her go.

"So, I kissed you, and I absorbed it instead..."

"Oh god!" she began to hyperventilate. _'I think you need a Doctor'._ Piercing blue eyes staring into hers and then the pain was gone.

"Rose, please, you have to calm down." he tried to hold her, but she pulled away again.

"Oh, M' gonna be sick." her hands flew to her mouth as the tears streamed down her face. "I can't…" she shook her head. "I can't breathe, I have to…" she trailed off as she leapt up from the jumpseat and took off down the corridor.

The Doctor ran his hands through his hair as he dropped his head to his knees. He knew no matter when or how he told Rose, the reaction would always be like this and he hated himself for it. Standing up, he began pacing around the console and then slammed his fists down onto the control board. He had convinced himself that keeping the truth regarding his regeneration from her was for the best. He had wanted to spare her that pain, because he knew she would blame herself. As he straightened himself back to a standing position, he shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned up against one of the coral struts. Seeing the look in her eyes when he told her what had happened shook him to his core. It was the same one he knew was in his own every time he couldn't save someone. At first he thought it might be best for her to have a little time to herself, but after a couple of minutes he said the hell with it and set off down the corridor to find her. The last thing she needed was to be alone right now. He made his way through the halls, past the wardrobe, the pool and the library and walked up to the door that led to the garden, he paused to compose himself and then stepped inside.

**-oOo-**

The garden was lush and spacious, surrounded by vibrant green hedges that blended almost seamlessly with the soft green grass. Large majestic trees were placed sporadically throughout and the red and golden hues of the leaves; almost fall-like in nature, were a brilliant contrast against the powder blue sky that the TARDIS had replicated. Off in the distance sat a small white gazebo, the main portion was rounded in shape, but the roof sloped upwards into a petite column-like structure with a window lit by a small lantern. Set in the center of the garden was a lavish Koi pond that stretched over a good seventy feet wide, complete with a three-tier fountain. On occasion, when Rose wanted a night-time theme, The TARDIS would replicate a clear starry sky and the water in the fountain would be illuminated by the colors of the rainbow as it jettisoned upwards before trickling back down into the pond below. Looking around, you would never believe you were really on a sentient spaceship.

Rose had been retreating here for as long as she could remember. Sometimes after a long day of running from monsters or whenever she and The Doctor had a particularly nasty row. But more often than not, mainly just because the tranquility of the place gave her peace of mind. She was sitting on a small bench stationed directly in front of the pond watching the sunlight reflect off the jeweled bodies of the fish as they swam through the crystal clear water, and trying to collect her thoughts when she heard his voice.

"Thought I might find you here." He was standing next to the bench, staring down at her. "Can I sit?"

She nodded slowly, still not able to bring herself to look at him.

"Rose," the tenderness in his voice squeezed her heart painfully and another tear slipped down her cheek.

"I killed you." She spoke quietly, still staring straight ahead.

"You saved me." He argued, but she still wouldn't acknowledge him fully. "Rose, look at me." He reached up cupping her chin and turning her head towards him. The pain in her eyes making his breath catch in his throat.

Her lower lip quivered as she tried not to look away. "M' sorry. M' so sorry."

"No." he shook his head. "Don't apologize for that. If you hadn't come back for me, I wouldn't be here now." He cradled her face with both of his hands. "They wouldn't have allowed me to regenerate. I would have been gone…for good. So don't you ever apologize to me for that." He held her gaze for a moment, allowing her to read the sincerity in his eyes and then leaned in and kissed her softly.

When they broke apart, she buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. He held her just as tightly, whispering soothing words in her ear until her sobs had finally tapered off.

"Does he hate me now?" she sniffed; her voice muffled against his suit jacket. "For what I did to him?"

"No. You gave him back his life and he's grateful for that."

"Do you?" she pulled back, needing to see his face.

"Do I what?" He looked at her questioningly.

"Hate me?" she finished meekly.

"Never, Rose." he replied firmly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I could _Never_ hate you."

"I hurt you though, right after you changed." She stood up and walked towards the pond, folding her arms across her chest. "M' the one who caused your regeneration and then I selfishly asked if you could change back without even thinkin' about how you felt." she paused and lowered her head. "I hurt you and M' sorry."

Walking up behind her, he put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him. "I wasn't angry at you for that. I'm the one who didn't tell you about the whole regeneration thing, remember? I'm the one who should be apologizing. And I may have been a little upset, but that was mainly because I was afraid you wouldn't stay with me, even though I changed for you."

"Changed for me?" she repeated, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah," his cheeks reddened as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Time Lords can sort of control their regenerations, and I well…I focused on you." He gazed into her eyes. "Particularly on how I felt about you."

"Oh." She placed her hand on his chest, right between his hearts. "So when you said this body was created for me…"

"I meant in every way possible." He pulled her flush against him, causing her to release a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "I basically imprinted on you, so that I could make myself your ideal mate." He nuzzled her nose with his own.

"You changed yourself for me?" she stared at him in awe.

"I wanted you to want me." He confessed. "At least, my hearts did, even though my mind warred with them for so long."

She smiled. "I wanted you before, and I will always want you no matter what form you're in."

"You say that now, but what happens if I end up looking like I did in my first body?" he grimaced. "Now that one really showed my age."

She giggled softly. "This," looking into his eyes, she placed both her hands on his chest; one over each heart. "Is all that matters to me. This is who you really are."

He paused for a moment to take her in. The sunlight glinting off her blonde locks as they danced to the rhythm of the soft breeze. Her hazel eyes, so full of love and devotion, and that amazing smile she gave only to him. Closing the distance between them, he captured her lips with his own.

"Are we okay?" he asked when she pulled back from the kiss for air. "I know I shouldn't have kept it from you, but I knew you would try to blame yourself. I just didn't want you to have that pain, but then talking to Jack made me realize that I didn't want any more secrets between us either."

Rose nodded. "I want us to be honest with one another as well. I jus'…S' a lot to take in. What I did to you and to Jack, and I need to be able to talk to him about this too."

The Doctor brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "You will, but not tonight."

"Doctor," Rose protested.

"No. You have had enough stress for one day and I think a nice relaxing bath would do us some good."

"You think so, huh?" she asked as she wound her arms around his neck once more.

"Oh, yes." he grinned. "But first, as I recall, you and I have an appointment with an ice cream soda." He pulled back from their embrace and offered her his arm. "What do you say; care to accompany me to the kitchen?"

"I'd love to." She smiled up at him and slipped her arm through his.

**A/N: That's right, Jack's back! Plus when I re-watched Doomsday, I noticed Rose mentioned to the Daleks about how she destroyed their emperor so I figured The Doctor had to have told her what happened on the gamestation at some point for her to have known that. Reviews are welcome. Thanks for reading.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Happy Halloween! I suppose the "Fear Her" episode is appropriate for today. I am posting a warning for this chapter however, as it does reference child abuse. This chapter was actually the most difficult for me so far, so I hope you'll review. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 8 – Family Matters<strong>

"So are you going to tell me where we're goin'?" Rose inquired as she followed The Doctor into the console room.

"Nope." The Doctor replied, popping the 'p' as he began to enter the coordinates for their next destination.

"Why not?" she pouted, crossing her arms.

"Because then it wouldn't be a surprise." he kissed her nose as he moved around her to flip another lever.

Rose chewed her bottom lip and grinned wickedly to herself as she sidled up to The Doctor and slipped between him and the console, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh c'mon, jus' one little hint?" she pleaded; looking up at him through her lashes and flashing him a sultry grin. "I promise to make it worth your while." She tugged the knot loose from his tie, slipping it off and unfastening the top three buttons on his dark blue oxford as she began placing soft kisses along his neck.

"Oh now you're just playing dirty." he moaned as she began to grind her hips against him.

"Well," she placed a gentle kiss on his lips before moving back to his neck again. "If you won't tell me where we're goin', how do I know whether or not M' dressed appropriately?"

"You look absolutely perfect." he assured her as he finally managed to extricate himself from her seductive, albeit distractive embrace. "Now stop worrying, because you are going to love where I'm taking you." he started to re-button his shirt, but she placed a hand over his to stop him.

"You should leave it like that." she ran her fingers over the light dusting of hair on his exposed chest. "S' kinda sexy."

"Is that so?" he leaned towards her.

"Mmhmm." she confirmed as she closed the remaining distance, bringing her lips to his.

A soft thud signaling the TARDIS's landing broke them apart and The Doctor gave her a sly grin before running over to the door and poking his head out.

Rose was adjusting the hem of her bright yellow V-neck shirt over the top of her dark blue flared jeans when she heard him mutter a confused "huh?" and then close the door.

She gave him an inquisitive look as he made his way back up the ramp and flicked a switch on the console.

"We um, seem to be facing a wall." he explained. "Just need to turn her about 90 degrees."

She chuckled, shaking her head as she grabbed her light blue jean jacket off the jumpseat and slipped it on.

"That should do it." he flicked the switch once more before reaching out for her hand. "Your surprise awaits my lady."

Taking his hand she gave him her signature smile and he led her out the door.

The TARDIS had landed them on Dame Kelly Holmes Close Street in Stratford, London in the quaint Stratford housing estate. The sky was overcast and the temperature was fairly chilly, but what Rose noticed most was that the quaint little neighborhood seemed a bit too quiet.

"Okay, I give up. Where are we?" she asked as she began to make her way down the street. The Doctor came bounding up behind her and placed his hands over her eyes.

"Doctor, what…?" she began.

"Hold on, hold on." The Doctor tilted her head back slightly and then removed his hands. "Okay now look."

Directly above her there was a long white banner that stretched between two lighting posts that stood opposite one another on either side of the street. To the far left and right corners of the banner were the distinct symbols of the Olympic Games and right in between were the words LONDON 2012 in bold black lettering.

"Oh my god, really?" she grinned and squeezed his arm lightly; bouncing on her feet.

"Thirtieth Olympiad" he replied; wrapping his arms around her waist. "Just in time for the opening doo dah ceremony tonight." He looked down at her. "I thought you'd like that."

"I love it." she leaned in a kissed him softly.

The Doctor chuckled and reached down to take her hand again as they continued on down the street. "You know the last one they had in London was dynamite. Wembly, 1948. I loved it so much; I went back and watched it all over again."

Rose smiled and shook her head as she listened to him babble. Even when she didn't understand half the things he was saying, she still found this particular quirk of his quite endearing. Always so eager to share his knowledge and experience with such deep passion in his voice, and it just made him so damn adorable. Although she was enjoying his story, her attention was quickly drawn to a gentleman who was hanging up flyers on one of the lampposts. The man gave her a withering look as they passed by and then turned his gaze downwards as he proceeded past them. Slightly curious, but also feeling a bit uneasy from the man's demeanor, Rose removed her hand from The Doctor's and approached the lamppost to look at the flyers. As she began to read, a feeling of dread settled into the pit of her stomach. "Doctor." she called out.

He had been so engrossed in his story; he hadn't noticed her pull away as he babbled on; now basically conversing with himself. "Fella carrying the torch, lovely chap, what was his name?" he pondered. "Mark? John? Mark? Legs like pipe cleaners, but strong as a whippet. And in those days, everybody had a tea party to go to."

"Doctor," Rose tried again.

"Did you ever have one of those little cakes with the crunchy ball bearings on top?" he asked; oblivious to his surroundings as he randomly changed topics.

"Doctor, I really think you should look at this." she had managed to finally get his attention, but only slightly as he turned to walk back towards her continuing his rambling.

"Do you know those things?" he asked as he approached her. "Nobody else in this entire galaxy has ever even bothered to make edible ball bearings." he grinned and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Genius." When he finally focused on Rose's face his smile faltered. "What is it?"

"Read these." she pointed towards the flyers and he moved in to study them as well.

"What's taking them, do you think?" he asked softly but she didn't reply; seemingly lost in her own thoughts. He took a moment to look around them. "Snatching children from a thoroughly ordinary street like this." he murmured. "And why's it so cold? Is someone reducing the temperature?"

"It says they all went missing this week." Rose finally responded; absentmindedly running a hand over her stomach. "Why would a person do somethin' like this?"

"What makes you think it's a person?" he asked, studying her face for a moment.

"Well, whatever it is, S' got the whole street scared to death." She watched one of the residents set her trash on the curb and then practically run back to her door; casting nervous glances over her shoulder.

"Hey," he said gently, stepping in front of her and reaching up to cup her cheek. "You okay?"

She placed her hand on his and leaned into his touch for a moment, closing her eyes. "Yeah, S' jus'…" She looked down at her stomach, placing her other hand against it. "All these missin' children…S' really unsettlin'."

He nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "C'mon." he reached down and took her hand.

"Where are we goin'?"

He wiggled his eyebrows. "We've got a mystery to solve."

**-oOo-**

He led her down towards the end of the street to a house with a mini football goal in the front yard. Letting go of her, he stepped into the yard and crouched down allowing the palm of his hand to hover over a small section of grass closest to the goal.

Rose watched him for a moment until the sound of a car engine dying caught her attention. A small red mini cooper had come to a standstill in the middle of the street and the driver was trying and failing to get the engine to turn over again. A couple of council workers that were doing maintenance on the roads noticed as well, and one of them hurried over to offer his assistance.

"You're the fifth one today." The worker called out to the motorist.

"I don't understand it." The man replied as he got out of his car. "I just had it serviced less than a month ago."

The road worker shook his head. "Nah, don't even try and explain it mate. All of the cars have been doing it." He moved towards the back of the car. "C'mon, I'll help give you a push."

"You boys need some help?" Rose called out to them.

"No, we're alright love." The worker replied.

"Don't worry," Rose told him as she approached the car. "M' tougher than I look, honest."

The worker grinned and moved over slightly for her to join him. Together they pushed the car a few feet and it started right back up. The driver gave a quick wave of thanks and headed on his merry way.

Rose dusted off her hands and slipped them into her pocket. "Does this happen a lot?"

The worker nodded. "Been doing it all week."

"Since those children started goin' missin'." Rose murmured.

"Yeah, I suppose so. I'm Kel."

"Rose." she extended her hand and the man shook it.

"Every car cuts out." Kel told her. "The council are going nuts. I mean, they've given this street the works. Renamed it. I've been tarmacking every pot hole." He gestured towards the street. "Look at that, beauty isn't it? Yeah, and all this is because that Olympic Torch comes right by the end of this close, just down there." he pointed towards the other end of the street. "Everything's gotta be perfect, ain't it? Only, it ain't."

"It takes them when they're playing." A small elderly woman interrupted their conversation.

Rose exchanged a troubled look with Kel. "M' sorry, and you are?"

"Maeve." The woman replied.

"Maeve, nice to meet you. M' Rose, now you were sayin'...what takes them?"

"Danny, Jane, Dale." Maeve answered. "Snatched in the blink of an eye."

Rose was about to inquire further when she heard The Doctor loudly attempting to reason with another one of the residents. The angry look on the man's face as he stalked towards the retreating and sputtering Doctor made her sigh and rub her temples, wondering what kind of trouble he had gotten himself into now.

"I'm telling you, I'm a police officer." she heard him stating. "I've got a badge and a…a police car. I can prove it, just hold on." he began reaching into his coat pocket.

"We've had plenty of coppers poking around here," the man snapped. "And you don't look or sound like any of them."

"I've got a colleague." The Doctor pointed towards Rose. "Lewis."

Rose, ever ready for The Doctor's newest stratagem turned to the angry man; giving a slight nod of affirmation.

"Well, she looks like less of a copper than you do."

"She's a new recruit." The Doctor maintained as he finally located what he was looking for. He flashed the psychic paper in the man's face. "Voila!"

"What are you going to do?" a young black woman who had just joined the group, asked timidly.

"Not like they can do much Trish." Interjected Maeve. "The police have knocked on every door. No clues, no leads, nothing."

"Look, kids run off some times, all right?" The man who had been fighting with The Doctor argued. "That's what they do."

"Saw it with me own eyes." The elderly woman stared him down. "Dale hicks in your garden, playing with your Tommy, and then poof." she gestured an explosion with her hands. "Right in front of me, like he was never there. There's no need to look any further than this street. It's right here amongst us."

"Ok," The Doctor looked around the group. "Why don't we…"

"Why don't we start with him!" shouted another neighbor; pointing her finger at Kel. "There's been all sorts like him in this street, day and night."

"Fixing things up for the Olympics." Kel responded, defensively.

"Yeah, and taking an awful long time about it." shot back Tommy's father.

The Doctor could see the situation was quickly escalating to a boiling point. "I think we need to just…"

"Hold on," Kel stepped forward, ignoring the Doctor and pointing at the woman who was spouting out the accusations. "What you just said, that's slander!"

"I don't care what it is!" she shouted back.

"Stop picking on him." Maeve scolded. "And stop pretending to be blind. It's evil!"

The younger woman scoffed. "I don't believe in evil."

"Oh no, you just believe tarmackers with sack loads of kidnapped kiddies in their van." Kel spat.

"That's not what she said." Tommy's dad argued.

"Would you stop ganging up on me!" Kel yelled.

"Feeling guilty are we?" The woman fired back.

The Doctor had finally had enough. "Fingers on lips!" he shouted; placing his index finger against his mouth and immediately halting the bickering as the group stared at him in confusion before mirroring his action. He glanced over at Rose who bit her bottom lip to stifle a laugh and then placed her own finger against her lips.

"Now," The Doctor looked around the group. "In the last six days, three of your children have been stolen. Snatched out of thin air right?"

"Can I…?" Maeve spoke up, and The Doctor nodded, giving her the floor. "Look around you." she gestured to the neighborhood. "This was a safe street till it came. It's not a person. I'll say it if no one else will. Maybe you're coppers, maybe you're not. I don't care who you are. Can you please help us?"

"Yes, I can." He smiled.

Rose had been watching Trish during Maeve's speech. The woman looked extremely nervous and her eyes kept shifting between the group and the upstairs window of her home. Rose followed her gaze and saw a little girl with her hand pressed against the glass watching them with rapt attention. Something about the look on the girl's face made Rose extremely uneasy. When Trish realized her daughter had caught Rose's attention as well, the two women locked eyes for a moment before Trish quickly turned and ran back into her house.

The Doctor did his best to reassure the group and promised that he would get to the bottom of the situation. As they dispersed, he turned to Rose who was still staring up at the window; seemingly lost in thought. "You okay?" he reached out for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Hmm?" she replied distractedly before turning her attention back to him. "Oh yeah, M' fine. You?"

"Yeah, good. This whole thing is just really strange. I would like your opinion on something though." He led her back towards the yard he had been investigating earlier and began sniffing the air. "Do you smell it?'' She took a deep breath and held it for a moment; concentrating. "What does that remind you of?"

"Sort a' metal?" she guessed.

"Mmmhmm." he grinned; delighted at her response and she hummed along happily. Together, they made their way around the back of the multi-story homes.

"Danny Edwards cycled in one end but never came out the other." he informed her as they walked between the fences that encased the back yards. "Woah," he stopped short. "There it goes again. Look at the hairs on the back of my manly hairy hand." he grinned holding up his hand and wiggling his fingers.

Rose giggled. "Many hairy?"

"Yes, manly hairy." he repeated. "Why are you laughing?"

"M' not." she rebutted his question, shaking her head as she moved past him.

Grabbing her around the waist, he quickly spun her around and pressed her up against the outer brick wall of one of the houses. "Would you like me to give you another demonstration of just how manly these hands are?" The Doctor growled as his fingers slid underneath the hem of her t-shirt.

"Hmm, I think my memory could use a little refreshin'." She smiled seductively and wrapped her arms around his neck.

The sound of a car horn startled him out of his descent upon her lips, and he pulled back; releasing his grip. "We should probably…" he cleared his throat.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Mystery to solve and all that." She smoothed her shirt back down.

"I'll just have to remember that for later." he whispered the promise against her ear, and she shivered pleasantly.

As they began walking again, a light breeze swept past them, bringing with it a hint of ozone; the odor assaulting their senses once more.

"There's that smell again." Rose scrunched up her nose. "S' like a burnt fuse plug or somethin'."

"There's a residual energy in the spots where the kids vanished." The Doctor confirmed. "Whatever it was, it used a lot of power to do this."

"So what do you think's causin' it?" Rose inquired as they returned to the front yard.

He shrugged. "Could be anything. There are a number of transmat devices that can easily teleport someone across the universe. It all just becomes a matter of locating the energy signature and…"

"You are so adorable." Rose said softly.

"Weell, I am quite brilliant…" he turned back towards her, his grin quickly fading into a frown. "Oh." he said flatly as he realized she had been speaking to a small ginger tabby cat that was sitting in the middle of the yard.

"I used to have one jus' like you." she murmured as she stroked the cat's back. "What?" she asked, noticing the grimace that was plastered across The Doctor's face.

"No, I'm not really a cat person." he shuddered remembering their trip to New Earth. "Once you've been threatened by one in a nun's whipple, it kind of takes the joy out of it."

Rose rolled her eyes and turned back to the cat who was now making its way over to a cardboard box that had been left at the end of the driveway.

"Come here puss," she cooed. "He didn't mean it; you don't have to hide in there."

As she approached the box, it started to shake and there was a strangled and distant sounding cry. Kneeling down, she slowly turned the box over and was shocked to see it was completely empty. "Doctor, he disappeared." she called over her shoulder.

The Doctor was by her side in an instant, but as he leaned down to examine the box, they were engulfed by another strong wave of ozone.

"Whoa! Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo." he waved his hands in attempt to clear the air and then picked up the box to examine it. "Ion residue. Blimey! That takes some doing. Just to snatch a living organism out of space-time. This baby is just like, I'm having some of that." he grinned broadly. "I'm impressed."

"So the cat's been transported?"

The Doctor nodded. "It can harness huge reserves of ionic power. We need to find the source of that power." He began looking up and down the street. "Find the source and you will find whatever has taken to stealing children and fluffy animals. We'll have to split up. See what you can see." He wiggled two fingers in front of her eyes. "Keep them peeled, Lewis."

With a quick kiss for luck, they each headed down opposite sides of the street.

**-oOo-**

Rose had been walking around her side of the neighborhood for a good half hour, and besides the occasional whiff of ozone in the air, she had failed to turn out any more clues. She idly wondered if The Doctor was having any better luck in his own investigation when she heard banging coming from a nearby garage. She hesitated for a moment, content with the thought of ignoring the sound and going back to look for The Doctor, but then her natural curiosity took over and with slight trepidation, she approached the door.

"Is that you, puss cat? You trapped?" she had started to press her ear against the metal surface, when an even louder bang resounded out making her jump backwards. "Okay." She took a breath and then moved towards the door once more. "Not going to open it, not going to open it, not going to open it." she repeated to herself over and over again; her fingers twitching over the handle as she warred her better judgment against her sense of adventure. She wasn't even sure if she had actually made the decision to open the door or if her hands just did it of their own accord, but the next thing she knew, it was open and a giant buzzing mass knocked her onto her back.

As her attempts to fight against it failed, she could faintly hear The Doctor's voice calling out to her to remain still, followed by the familiar buzzing of the sonic screwdriver and suddenly the frenzied mass was no bigger than a tennis ball; dropping easily into her outstretched hands. The next thing she knew, The Doctor's form was looming over her; worry etched across his face.

"Rose?" he breathed, pulling her up and into his arms and hugging her tightly. "Are you okay?" he pulled back, cupping her face with his hands and looking her over for injuries.

"M' fine. M' okay." she smiled in reassurance before holding out her hand so they could take a look at the object that attacked her.

The Doctor began poking it lightly with his sonic screwdriver. "I'll give you a fiver if you can tell me what the hell it is, because I haven't got the foggiest."

"Well," she furrowed her eyebrows as she looked it over. "I can tell you've jus' killed it."

"It was never living." he corrected, taking the mysterious item from her. "It's animated energy. Same energy that's been snatching people. That is so dinky!" he grinned, tossing it in the air and catching it a few times before slipping it into his pocket. "The go anywhere creature. Fits in your pocket, makes friends, impresses the boss, breaks the ice at parties."

"Are you done?" she asked as she tried to contain her smile.

He wrapped his arms around her waist; a teasing gleam in his eyes. "Entertains the masses." he kissed her softly.

"You're such a goofball." She laughed and he made a happy noise in the back of his throat. "Alright you," she playfully slapped at his chest. "Let's take that brilliant brain of yours back to the TARDIS and figure out what that thing is."

**-oOo-**

The TARDIS had analyzed and identified the makeup of the "scribble creature" as graphite; the same type of material in an HB pencil, and for Rose, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. The strange occurrences seemed to all center around one lonely little twelve year old girl named Chloe Webber and her drawings. Although her mother Trish vehemently denied anything out of the ordinary was going on, she eventually conceded to the help the pair offered. The Doctor soon realized however, that their investigation seemed to unearth more questions than answers, including a particularly violent family history.

The Doctor was still trying to wrap his head around the situation as they entered Trish's kitchen. Absentmindedly, he picked up a jar of orange marmalade and began unscrewing the lid as he leaned back against the counter. He was just about to dip his fingers inside when Rose snatched the jar from him. She gave him a bewildered look and then mouthed an apology to Trish as she placed the lid back on the jar and set it back down on the counter.

"Ok," she began. "Those pictures, they're alive. She's drawin' people and they end up in her pictures."

"Ionic energy." he nodded, crossing his arms. "Chloe's harnessing it to steal those kids and place them in some kind of holding pen made up of ionic power."

"And what about the dad from hell in her wardrobe?"

"How many times do I have to tell you," Trish interrupted in a frustrated tone. "He's dead."

"If living things can become drawings, then those drawings can easily become living things." The Doctor replied ominously. "Chloe's real dad is dead, but not the one who visits her in her nightmares. To her, that dad seems very real. That's the dad she's drawn and he's a heartbeat away from crashing into this world." Both he and Rose shuddered at the thought.

"Chloe usually got the brunt of his temper when he'd had a drink." Trish said quietly. "The day he crashed the car, I thought we were free. I thought it was over."

Rose walked over and put her arm around the young woman in an attempt to console her. "We're gonna figure this out ok?" Trish nodded but remained silent. "Doctor," Rose looked back at him. "How can a twelve year old girl be doin' any of this?"

He took a deep breath and then let it out through pursed lips. "Let's find out."

**-oOo-**

Using his telepathy, The Doctor was able to establish a link to the entity known as the Isolus that now resided in the child. He ascertained that it had fallen to Earth after a solar flare separated it from its family. Without transportation, the Isolus became desperate, seeking out companionship and finding a kindred spirit in Chloe, and recognizing the same deep-seated loneliness.

The Doctor's attempts at getting the Isolus to leave however, were futile. With no hope of getting back to its family, the Isolus had no desire to leave the girl, and he realized the only way to stop the disappearances and return Chloe fully to her mother was to find where the Isolus's pod crash-landed and send it back to its family.

"We need that pod." he stressed as they made their way back to the TARDIS.

"But it crashed." Rose pointed out. "Won't it be destroyed?

"Well, it's been sucking in all the heat it can. Hopefully that should keep it in a fit state to launch." he surveyed the street as they walked along. "It must be close. It should have a weak energy signature that the TARDIS can trace. Once we find it, then we can stop the Isolus."

**-oOo-**

The Doctor sat on the jumpseat building his energy detecting device while Rose stood alongside, passing him tools as he called for them.

"You knew the Isolus was lonely before it told you." She remarked as she watched him work. "How?"

He shrugged. "I know what it's like to travel a long way on your own. Give me the styner-magnetic um…" hands full, he nodded his head towards her. "The thing in your left hand."

"You said it was used to havin' a big family, yeah?" She dropped the part he indicated to into the opening he had created in the top of the device. "How big?"

"Oh, I'd say about four billion siblings." he calculated. "Binary dot.

"That's…definitely a big family." She held out her finger and he removed the small object, adding it to the device.

Rose was quiet for a few minutes as she thought about the situation. "Doctor, why do you think the Isolus chose her?"

"I think it sensed something in her that it could identify with. Two lonely kids that needed each other."

"Do you think Chloe will be okay though when it leaves? I mean, all that stuff Trish said about her dad…That kind 'a trauma can stick with you for a long time."

"I know." he said quietly.

"An' S' got to be really hard on Trish too. Raisin' Chloe on her own, and now this."

"Your mom raised you on her own and you've grown into quite an amazing woman, Rose Tyler." his eyes met hers with warmth and sincerity. "We're going fix this, and once Trish has her daughter back completely, I believe with time they'll be able to heal each other." She gave him a soft smile which he returned as he held out his hand and stated. "Gum." She spit the piece she had been chewing into his hand and he affixed it to the device.

Looking down, she ran a hand over her stomach. "I know we've already met our daughter, but sometimes I still worry ya know, about bein' a good mum." she paused for a moment. "Do you ever worry about bein' a dad?"

"I was a dad once before." He replied absentmindedly as he began attaching the final piece to his detector.

Rose's head snapped up and she stared at him; eyes wide. This was the first time since she told him she was pregnant that he had even breached the subject about his family. Although she was curious about that aspect of his past, she had never pressed him to talk about it; for fear that it would be too painful of a subject for him. She watched with bated breath as she waited for him to continue, but as per usual, he didn't. In fact, it seemed to her as though he didn't even realize he had said it.

"I think we're there." he affirmed happily as he leapt up from the jumpseat and made his way around the console. "Once I input the calculations, the TARDIS should be able to pick up the heat signature easily." He set the device down next to the monitor. "Now we wait."

"So…what, we find the pod, charge it up and then the Isolus will jus' leave on its own?"

"We're not dealing with something that wants to conquer or destroy. The Isolus are empathic beings of intense emotions. Their need for each other is what sustains them. They feed off each other's love." He took the tool she was fiddling with out of her hand, set it down on the jumpseat and pulled her into his arms. "They need to be together. They cannot be alone." He looked into her eyes as he silently conveyed his double meaning. "Without that love, they're lost. There's a lot of things you need to get across this universe, but what you need most of all is a hand to hold."

Rose's breath hitched at the intensity of his words. They both knew how they felt about each other, but hearing him speak so openly and honestly about love and togetherness was a rarity in itself. The inimitable moment however was short-lived, as a soft beeping from the monitor alerted them that the TARDIS had picked up the heat signature of the Isolus's ship.

"It's the pod." he confirmed as he reviewed the findings on the monitor. "It is in the street!" He chuckled, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "Everything's coming up Doctor." Grabbing the device off the console with one hand and taking hers with the other, they headed towards the door.

"Okay. It's about two inches across." He began describing the pod to her as they stepped out of the TARDIS. "Dull grey, like a gull's egg. Very light."

She nodded in understanding and moved towards the street while he locked the door. "So these pods they travel from sun to sun using heat, yeah?" A loud crash drew her attention back behind her. "Doctor?"

Turning around, she saw that the device he had been holding was now scattered in pieces along the ground and he was nowhere to be seen. "Doctor!" she called louder, looking around frantically. It was then that she noticed the TARDIS had disappeared as well, and knew exactly what had happened.

**-oOo-**

Trish opened the door to find a very frantic looking Rose waiting on the other side.

"What is it?" she asked as she moved aside to allow the young blonde into the house.

"Where's Chloe?" Rose panted, trying to catch her breath.

"In her room." she followed after Rose as she headed for the stairs. "It's okay. I've taken all the pencils off her."

When the two women entered the room, they found Chloe at her desk hunched over and scribbling away."

As Rose approached she felt her stomach drop when she saw the drawing of The Doctor and the TARDIS.

"Oh Chloe, no." her mother gasped.

Rose knelt down next to the young girl and picked up the drawing. "Please, you have to bring him back. He can help you get home."

"Leave me alone!" The Isolus spoke through the child. "I want to be with Chloe Webber. I love Chloe Webber."

"I know you do." she said softy. "But Chloe's mum loves her too, and she needs her. Jus' like I love and need The Doctor. If you bring him back, he can help you. He can get you back to your family."

Something shifted in the child's eyes for a fraction of a second and then it was gone again. "No!" The Isolus shouted. "Leave me alone! I love Chloe Webber!"

"Okay," Rose patted the girl's arm to calm her. "S' okay." She knew arguing with the entity would get her nowhere; it was just a mere child after all. As she got to her feet, she looked down at the drawing in her hand. "Doctor, if you can hear me, M' going to get you out of there. I'll find the pod." She turned to Trish. "M' gonna fix this." She assured the young woman. "Jus' don't leave her alone, no matter what."

**-oOo-**

"Heat. They travel on heat." Rose muttered to herself as she left the house. As she walked down towards the street, she saw one of the road workers that they had met earlier that morning. "M' sorry, Kel wasn't it." She called out to him as she approached.

"That's right." He confirmed. "I spoke with you this morning. Where's your partner?" he glanced over her shoulder.

"Oh, he's following up on a lead." She replied with a wave of her hand.

He nodded and turned back towards the street, crouching down. "Look at this finish." He stated proudly. "Smooth as a baby's bottom. Not a bump or a lump."

Rose lowered herself down beside him. "Kel, was there anything in this street in the last few days giving off a lot of heat?"

"I mean, you can eat your dinner off this. Beautiful." He continued on completely bypassing her question. "So you tell me why the other one's got a lump in it when I gave it the same love and craftsmanship as I did this one."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Well, when you've worked it out, put it in a big book about tarmackin'. But before you do that, think back six days."

"Six days." he grinned to himself, still seemingly lost in his own little world. "When I was laying this the first time round."

"What?"

"Well, that's when I filled in this pothole for the first time." He replied, finally acknowledging her properly.

"Six days ago?"

"Yeah."

"Hot fresh tar." She murmured to herself.

"Blended to a secret council recipe."

Rose immediately jumped up and ran towards the work vehicle parked down the road.

"I don't keep it in the van!" he called out as he stood up to follow after her. "Hey, you can't go in there, that's a council van."

Ignoring him, she pulled open the doors and climbed inside. Looking down, she quickly spotted the exact item she needed. Spinning back around, she held up the pick axe and laughed triumphantly at her find.

"Whoa, wait, wait, wait." Kel held up his hands as she jumped back out of the vehicle. "You just removed a council axe from a council van. Put it back."

Ignoring him, and using all the strength she could muster, Rose immediately began digging up the pothole that he claimed to have filled six days ago.

"No! You, stop!" he cried out. "You just took a council axe from a council van and now you're digging up a council road! I'm reporting you to the council!"

Once she had broken through the top layer, she knelt down and began sifting through the rubble, and there, nestled right in the center was the Isolus's ship.

"It went for the hottest thing in the street." She laughed as she cradled the pod in her hands. "Your tar."

"What is it?"

"S' a spaceship, but not a council spaceship, I'm afraid." She couldn't help but give him a little dig in response to his outburst as he stood staring at her; mouth agape. "Anyways, thanks for your help. Gotta go." She jumped up and turning on her heels, ran straight back to Trish's house. "I've found it!" she called out, once inside. "I don't know what to do with it, but maybe the Isolus will just hop on board." She paused, as Trish entered the room smiling and holding a cup of tea. "Hang on, I told you not to leave her."

Before the young woman could protest, they were interrupted by the astonished voice of one of the TV broadcasters for the Olympics stating that the crowd had vanished. They watched in horror as the cameras panned over the entire stadium, which was now empty.

At that moment, Kel came through the door still seething. "I don't care if you've got Snow White and the Seven Dwarves buried under there, you don't go digging up…"

"Shut up and look!" Rose hissed, pointing at the screen.

"The crowd has vanished!" they heard the broadcaster continue. "They're gone. Thousands of people have just gone, right in front of my eyes. It's impossible. Bob, can we join you in the box? Bob? Not you too, Bob?"

Rose turned and headed for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Trish asked as she followed her.

"The stadium won't be enough." Rose said over her shoulder as they headed up to the second story of the house. "The Isolus has four billion brothers and sisters." When they reached the girl's bedroom door, Rose tried the knob but it wouldn't budge. "Chloe? Chloe, it's Rose!" she called out. "Please open the door, we found your ship. We can send you home."

"Oh my god, Rose!" Trish gasped and pointed to the eerie red light coming from under the door.

It was then that they heard the evil disembodied voice of her dead husband, signifying that the drawing her daughter had rendered of him in her closet had once again become active. "_I'm coming to hurt you_." The voice growled.

"No! Chloe!" Trish was banging on the door now. "My baby! You're not going to hurt her again!" she screamed at the voice.

Rose pulled her away and took the pick axe from Kel, who was watching the entire situation in utter bewilderment. "M' gonna have to break it down, stand back."

She made a hole in the door, big enough to slip her arm through and pushed away the chair that had been wedged against the doorknob. As they rushed into the room, they saw Chloe standing in front of the far wall, sketching out an image of the earth.

"Chloe, you have to stop!" Rose pleaded.

The rumbling from the closet was growing louder. "_I'm coming to hurt you. I'm coming._"

"Shut up!" Trish covered her ears and shook her head. "I won't let you hurt her."

"If you stop Chloe Webber, I will let him out." The Isolus warned. "We will let him out together. I cannot be alone. It's not fair."

"Look," Rose held out her hand; proffering the small spaceship. "I've got your pod."

"The pod is dead." The Isolus replied flatly.

"No, it's not." Rose assured her. "It jus' needs heat."

"It needs more than heat." she argued as she continued to draw.

"I'm not being funny or nothing, but that picture just moved." Kel interjected.

Rose turned and looked down at the picture of The Doctor, which now included a small drawing of the Olympic torch and he was pointing to it. "She didn't draw that, he did." She murmured. "But it needs more than heat, Doctor." She whispered to the drawing.

Before her eyes, the picture shifted again. He was now smiling and in his outstretch hand was a small red heart.

"Love." Rose whispered; blinking back her tears. Turning back to Kel and Trish, she smiled. "I know how to charge up the pod."

**-oOo-**

The street of Dame Kelly Holmes close had become packed with people waiting to see the torch as it passed by. Rose quickly made her way through the crowd, trying to get as close to the end of the street as she could.

"Sorry, you'll have to watch from here." Said one of the police officers who was patrolling the crowd as he blocked her path.

"No, you don't understand. I've got to get closer."

"I'm sorry Miss, but that's not going to happen."

Rose sighed in frustration. She had to figure out some way to get closer to the torch in order to charge the ship without getting herself arrested. As she looked back and forth through the crowd, she felt a slight vibration in her hand and looked down at the pod curiously.

"You felt it, didn't you?" she said softly. The torch was moving further down the street now and she was running out of time. Quickly moving towards the back of the crowd, she closed her eyes, praying that her idea would work. Holding the pod in both hands, she lifted it up to her lips and whispered "Feel the love." before tossing it into the air towards the moving torch.

Kel made his way through the crowd and stood beside her as they watched the small pod drift towards the open flame and drop right in the center.

"Yes!" Rose cheered, jumping up and down and turned to Kel to give him a hug.

"You did it!" Kel hugged her back, and then pulled away in confusion. "What was it you did?"

"C'mon," she laughed as she headed back down the street. "I'll show you."

**-oOo-**

Rose smiled softly as she and Kel watched the missing children reunite with their parents, but she was getting worried. All of the kids were back, and even the cat had been returned, but there was still no sign of The Doctor or the TARDIS.

"Where is he? He should be here." Her eyes swept up and down the street, searching for a glimpse of pinstripes or flash of trenchcoat.

"Maybe he's gone somewhere." Kel offered.

"No." she said quietly. "He wouldn't leave me. I'm his hand to hold."

Not knowing what else to say, Kel shook his head sadly and headed back towards his van.

"All the drawings have come to life." She told herself as she continued to scan the neighborhood. "That should mean all of them..." she drifted off as she noticed a flashing red light coming from the window of Chloe's room. Her blood ran cold as she realized what that meant. "Oh, no." Running up to the house, she began pounding on the door. "Trish, you've got to get out!"

"I can't!" Trish called from the other side. "The door's stuck!"

"Is the Doctor in there? "

"No, I don't think so."

"_Chloe, I'm coming to hurt you."_ The voice reverberated through the house.

"Rose," Trish whimpered. "The drawing, it's come to life."

"Mummy!" Chloe cried out, clinging to her mother.

"Chloe, listen to me." Rose said gently. "It isn't real like the others. It's just energy left over by the Isolus, but you can get rid of it."

"I can't!"

"Yes you can Chloe. He's not real and he can't hurt you anymore. Either of you." Rose clarified. "All you need is each other and you can make him go away."

Trish lowered herself to the floor, pulling her daughter with her. "I'm here with you, Chloe. You're not alone. You'll never be alone again." She said softly as she rocked her and then began to sing. Chloe soon joined her mother, their fear quickly melting away and changing over to laughter as they held one another. After a few moments, the light faded away and the house was silent again.

Rose pressed her forehead against the door and let out a deep breath of relief. Now all she needed to do was find The Doctor.

**-oOo-**

"Just look at this." The commentator was saying. "Utterly incredibly scenes at the Olympic stadium. Eighty thousand athletes and spectators. They disappeared, but they've come back! It's quite incredible."

"Eighty thousand people," Rose sighed as she stared at the TV screen. "But still no Doctor."

"I'm sorry." Trish said softly as she handed Rose a mug of steaming hot tea and sat down beside her on the couch.

After several hours of searching, neither The Doctor nor the TARDIS had reappeared. In an attempt to stave off her worrying, Rose helped Trish scrub the remains of the drawing of Chloe's dad from the wall of the girl's closet and then joined her in the living room to watch the news coverage of the Olympic Games while Chloe napped.

"He'll be back," she reassured herself aloud. "I know he will, 'cause I need him."

Trish studied her for a moment. "Do you know what you're having yet?"

Rose turned to look at her quizzically.

"I mean, do you know if you're having a boy or girl?" she clarified.

"Girl." she smiled into her mug. "How'd you know?"

"You keep rubbing your stomach." Trish chuckled. "I use to do the same thing when I was pregnant with Chloe. Didn't even realize I was doing it."

Rose laughed. "I guess I didn't either."

"Thank you, for everything." Trish reached out and squeezed Rose's hand. "We both owe you so much."

"You don't owe us anythin'. We help people, S' what we do." She paused for a moment, unsure as how to approach the subject. "Did you ever talk to her about it, about what happened with her dad?"

"I didn't want to." Trish shook her head. "Maybe if I had this would never have happened."

"You have to stop blamin' yourself. Both of you have been through a lot. All that matters now is that you be there for each other."

Trish nodded and looked down at her mug. "You're gonna make a good mum."

Rose smiled again, feeling the tears prickling at her eyes, but before she could respond further the commotion on the TV drew their attention.

"The Torch Bearer seems to be in a bit of trouble." The announcer was saying. "We did see a flash of lightning earlier that seemed to strike him. Maybe he's injured. He's definitely in trouble."

The image on the screen zoomed in as the Torch Bearer collapsed onto the pavement and a hush fell over the crowd.

"Does this mean that the Olympic dream is dead?" asked a second commentator.

The screen once again changed from the image of the crowd back to the torch which was now lying on the ground, as a pair of black converses came into view. Rose's heart leapt in her chest as the sight of the man she loved filled the screen. "There's a mystery man. He's picked up the flame. We've no idea who he is. He's carrying the flame. Yes, he's carrying the flame and no one wants to stop him."

"Doctor." Was all she could manage as the smile blossomed over her face.

The cameras continued to follow him as he carried the torch the rest of the way up the red carpet towards the lower cauldron, beaming brightly. "It's more than a flame now, Bob." The announcer continued. "It's more than heat and light. It's hope, and it's courage, and it's love."

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, The Doctor lifted his arms and let out a loud whoop of joy before turning and using the torch to ignite the flame in the main cauldron, and as the larger flame soared to life, the crowd erupted into cheers of joy.

The two women wiped their eyes and exchanged a hug, their emotions getting the better of them as they watched the events unfold. Rose knew she wouldn't be completely at ease until she was in The Doctor's arms once more, but at least seeing for herself that he was okay and knowing he would be coming for her soon, gave her a slight sense of relief.

While waiting for The Doctor to return, they decided to make some cupcakes for Chloe when she awoke for her nap. As the two gathered the ingredients together, Rose paused in thought and smiled before turning back to Trish.

"Do you have any edible ball bearing's?"

**-oOo-**

The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets as he made his way down the darkened street. He had been quite pleased to find himself and the TARDIS right in the middle of the Olympic Stadium when he was released from the drawing. He fulfilled yet another life-long aspiration by carrying the Olympic Torch, and he managed to send the Isolus back to its family using the heat from the flame and the emotional outpouring of the crowd. Yet even after all of that excitement, he was starting to feel a bit apprehensive. All he wanted to do now was find Rose and sweep her into his arms, enjoy some of the games and then take her back to the TARDIS and show her just how much he was glad to be back. He looked around anxiously as he sought out his beautiful pink and yellow girl.

"Cake?" said a soft voice behind him.

Spinning around he saw Rose standing in the middle of the street, smiling brightly and holding out a small cupcake complete with edible ball bearings on top.

He felt his hearts leap in his chest at the sight of her and with two quick strides, she was in his arms and his lips were on hers, kissing her until she was breathless.

"I thought I'd lost you." She whispered once they pulled back for air.

"Never." He cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes as he heard that familiar negative voice in his head telling him not to say his next words. He mentally told that voice to go to hell. "You will never lose me, and no one will ever split us up."

Rose smiled and kissed him again, before remembering the cake in her hand. "Here." She held it out to him once more. "I remembered."

"Top banana!" he grinned and took a bite. "Mmm." The Doctor moaned happily. "I can't stress this enough. Ball bearings you can eat, masterpiece!"

"So what now?" she asked as he reached for her hand; entwining their fingers.

"Go to the games of course." He smiled down at her. "It's what we came for."

"Well, go on, give us a clue." She nudged him with her shoulder. "Which events do we do well in?"

"Weell," he began, swinging their arms between them. "I will tell you this. Papua New Guinea surprises everyone in the shot put."

"Really?" she raised an eyebrow. "You're joking, aren't you? Doctor, are you serious or are you joking?

He leaned down and kissed her nose. "Wait and see."

Stopping at the end of the street, Rose leaned her head against his shoulder as they both looked up to watch the opening ceremony fireworks display and reflected on the day. The sky was filled with bright beautiful colors as the air crackled and popped around them. But there was also something else in the air; he could sense it even stronger now. Something big was coming and he shuddered at the thought.

"Doctor, are you okay?" Rose asked, having felt him tremble.

"Of course." He looked down at her. "I'm…" the words died in his throat as she gave him a look that said '_don't you dare use your_ "always alright" _statement._' Swallowing roughly, he continued. "I'm fine. It's just been a very strange day, that's all."

Rose nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer and he pulled her into his arms. They continued to watch the fireworks show, her back against his chest, and his arms wrapped loosely around her as he rested his chin on her head, both feeling like they never wanted to let the other out of their site again.

He told her he was fine, but he wasn't, and he hadn't been since Krop Tor. The storm he had sensed approaching was now on the horizon and the images his daughter had showed him of a possible future in which he lost Rose were now looming before him. He pulled her closer, tightly wrapping both arms around her as a myriad of thoughts and fears began to run through his mind and then mentally shook himself. He would not lose her. Not to another world and not to any prediction made by the beast, and heaven help anything or anyone who tried to take her away from him.


	9. Chapter 9

**It begins…**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9 – I Ain't Afraid of no Ghosts<strong>

"You're beautiful you know?" The Doctor said softly.

Startled, Rose turned from the full length mirror to see him standing in the doorway. "You scared me." she chided placing her hand over her heart.

"Sorry." he pushed himself off the doorframe and made his way across the room, pulling her into his arms and nuzzling her nose with his. "Didn't mean to."

"S' okay." She smiled and leaned in to give him a soft kiss. "Thought you were workin' on the console."

He shrugged. "I was, but I kinda got lonely without you out there helping me." he admitted earning a tongue touched smile from the woman in his arms. "You've been in here a while. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." she nodded. "S' jus'…when I was gettin' dressed this mornin', none of my jeans fit. Luckily the TARDIS put these out for me." She pointed down to the black slacks she was now wearing.

"Well, another good thing about having a sentient ship is that you won't have to worry about maternity wear; she'll provide whatever you need." He pointed out.

"And I love her for it." Rose felt the equivalent of a mental hug in response to her words and smiled before turning around in his arms to face the mirror once more. "M' startin' to show." she observed, running her hand over the slightly more prominent curve of her belly.

His hand soon joined hers, stroking her stomach lovingly. "Yes you are," he watched their reflection for a moment and then lowered his lips to her neck. "And you are very, very, sexy." he punctuated each word with a soft kiss.

She leaned back into him further, feeling the evidence of his arousal poking against her bum, and moved her other hand up to run through his hair as he slid his underneath her shirt and began a slow journey upwards.

"You know, I jus' finished gettin' dressed." She murmured breathlessly.

"Yeah, that really is a shame." He tsked, as he spun her in his arms again and captured her lips with his own.

**-oOo-**

"Did you still want to go visit your mother today?" he asked as he buttoned up his shirt. "I know it's been a little while since you've seen her, and you've been wanting to give her the gift you picked up at that asteroid bazaar."

"Yeah," she replied, stepping back into the bedroom from the ensuite and running a brush through her hair. "I jus' need to gather up the wash first."

"I don't understand why she insists on doing your wash every time you go home to visit when we have a perfectly good laundry facility here on the TARDIS." He muttered as he laced his trainers.

Rose shrugged. "I've tried tellin' her that, but she got all sad so I jus' dropped it. S' like, since M' not around and Mickey's gone, she misses bein' a mother. I think she jus' wants to feel needed." She paused for a moment and chuckled. "She even told me to bring some of your clothes for her to wash so you'll stop wearin' the same thing every day."

"Oi! I may not wear a new outfit everyday like you humans, but this suit is very versatile for all occasions. And I do alternate between this and the blue one, and even a tux once and a while. Besides," he sniffed, straightening his lapels. "A quick once over with the sonic and it's perfectly clean."

Rose grinned. "Okay, well what about your…"

"Oh no," he cut her off, shaking his head enthusiastically. "No! Your mother is not getting her hands on my underpants." The resounding laughter filling the room made him scowl. "Oh you think that's funny do you?"

With a predatory gleam in his eyes and a low growl, he pounced, covering her mouth with his own before she could even get out the first syllables of his name and they tumbled backwards onto the bed.

**-oOo-**

An hour later, and having gotten dressed for the third time that day, Rose met The Doctor in the console room with a large rucksack full of laundry as he set the coordinates for the Powell Estates. He set the TARDIS down in a small playground near her mother's flat, and while he finished up settling the ship, Rose ventured outside to reacquaint herself with her home planet.

The weather was pleasant; cool but not cold, and the baby blue sky was sparse except for a few white fluffy wisps of clouds scattered sporadically. She squinted a little as she stared up into the bright sunshine, while attempting to pull the straps of the rucksack over her shoulders.

The Doctor, having just exited the TARDIS, saw her struggle and took the bag from her. "You don't need to be carrying that." He chided as he slipped the strap over his own shoulder and then reached out for her hand.

Ignoring the instinct to argue with him, especially since she knew he was doing it to be gentlemanly, she entwined her fingers with his and pulled him in for a kiss. When they broke apart, he grinned broadly and then pulled her alongside him as they made their way towards Jackie's flat, swinging their arms between them and laughing about one of their recent adventures.

**-oOo-**

"Mum, it's us, we're back!" Rose called out as she used her key to let themselves into the flat.

"Oh, sweetheart M' so happy you're here!" Jackie cried as she came running out of the kitchen to engulf her daughter in a hug. "Look at you, you're practically glowing."

"Oh stop, I am not." She giggled, hugging her mother tightly.

The Doctor grinned as he brushed past the two women, heading towards the living room.

"Hold it you." Jackie let go of her daughter to pull The Doctor into a hug before he could get away. "I missed you too, you daft alien." She kissed him full on the mouth and then turned back to her daughter.

Rose bit back a laugh when she saw The Doctor grimace and wipe off his mouth with his sleeve. Pulling the rucksack from his hands, she passed it to her mother.

"I've got loads of washing for you. And I got you this." She held out her hand, revealing a small brass metal object. "S' from the market on this asteroid bazaar. S' made of um," she turned to look at The Doctor over her shoulder. "What's it called?"

"Bazoolium." He stated, walking over to put his arms around Rose's waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Bazoolium." she repeated. "When it gets cold, yeah, it means S' goin' to rain. When S' hot, it's goin' to be sunny. You can use it to tell the weather."

"Thank you both." Jackie smiled, taking the item. "I love it." She set the Bazoolium down on the nearby table and then took Rose's hands in her own. "I've got a surprise for you and all."

"Oh mum, you're already doin' the laundry, you don't need to do anythin' else."

"No, no, different kinda surprise." she paused and looked between the pair, her grin growing wider. "Guess who's comin' to visit? You're jus' in time. He'll be here at ten past. Who do you think it is?

"I don't know." Rose shook her head.

"Oh go on, guess."

"Mum, you know I hate guessing. Jus' tell me."

"It's your granddad. Granddad Prentice. He's on his way, any minute." she exclaimed happily and then turned to go into the kitchen. "Right, let me make you a cup of tea!"

The Doctor felt Rose's body stiffen against him. "Rose," he said softly. "What is it?"

"Somethin's wrong. S' like she's gone mad."

"Tell me something new. Ow!" he winced, rubbing the spot on his stomach where she elbowed him.

"M' not kiddin'. Somethin's really wrong. Granddad Prentice, that's her dad, yeah. But he died like ten years ago." She pulled out of his embrace to follow her mother into the kitchen with The Doctor trailing behind her. "Mum?" she began gently. "What you jus' said about granddad…"

"Any second now." her mother nodded.

"But he passed away." she exchanged another concerned look with The Doctor. "His heart gave out. Do you remember that? "

"Of Course I do."

Rose paused, trying to understand her mother's train of thought. "Then how can he come back?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Jackie looked down at her watch. "Ten past, here he comes." She turned towards the window right as a large, almost transparent humanoid shape passed through the wall and sink and then moved to stand next to her. "Here we are, then. Dad, say hello to Rose. Ain't she grown?"

Rose's mouth dropped open in shock and The Doctor quickly moved forward, shielding her behind him as they stared at the unearthly figure.

"Told you didn't I?" Jackie put her hands on her hips and nodded proudly.

"Doctor what is it?" Rose whispered.

"I told you," Jackie interjected. "S' your granddad. And he's not the only one. They all pop in around this time."

"What do you mean all?" The Doctor's eyes narrowed.

"I mean all. As in everywhere. All over the world even."

"Doctor?" Rose's voice wavered a bit.

"C'mon," he took her hand as he backed them away and towards the front door. "We need to get outside."

As they quickly made their way out the door of the flat and down the stairs, a sinking feeling began to settle in The Doctor's stomach. Reaching the bottom level, he pushed open the door and they ran out into the parking lot, stopping short at the sight before them.

"They're everywhere!" He looked up and down the street, surveying as much of the area as he could. The streets seemed to be infested with the 'ghosts', but what he found to be the most disconcerting was how no one seemed to even be fazed by the phenomenon.

"Doctor, look out!" Rose called out to him too late as one of the beings passed straight through him, and he shuddered at the sensation.

"They haven't got long." Jackie said breathlessly having run all the way from the flat just to catch up with them. "Midday shift only lasts a couple of minutes. They're about to fade."

The Doctor furrowed his brows. "What do you mean, shift? Since when did ghosts have shifts? Since when did shifts have ghosts? What's going on?" he was starting to feel extremely edgy, and Rose put her arms around him in attempts to calm him down.

"Oh, he's not happy when I know more than him, is he?" Jackie observed.

"But no one's running or screaming or freaking out." he said, returning Rose's embrace.

"Why should we?" Jackie retorted, looking down at her watch again. "Here we go. Twelve minutes past."

Within an instant, the ghosts seemed to all vanish into thin air and his embrace on Rose tightened.

"Doctor?" she looked up at him questioningly.

He looked down into her eyes. "Whatever this is, it isn't good. I have a really bad feeling and I need to find out what's going on here."

**-oOo-**

When they entered the flat, The Doctor tossed his coat on the rack and headed for the living room while Jackie went to the kitchen to put on a pot of tea. Rose followed after The Doctor who was now sitting on the floor in front of the TV, spectacles on, and flipping through channels. As she sat down on the couch behind him, he glanced at her over his shoulder and then scooted backwards until he was sitting between her legs. Handing her the remote, he reached down and picked up her right foot, removing the shoe and began kneading and massaging the muscles. Part of her was way too shocked to say anything while the other part was too afraid that he might stop if she did. So instead, she promptly told her brain to shut up so that she could enjoy it, and silently conveyed the same message to her mother when she returned wide-eyed with their tea a few minutes later.

Rose flipped through the channels at The Doctor's request, and they paused on a news station showing footage from earlier in the day. "On today's Ghostwatch, claims that some of the ghosts are starting to talk," The anchor was reporting. "And there seems to be a regular formation gathering around Westminster Bridge. It's almost like a military display."

"What the hell's going on?" The Doctor said quietly and gestured to Rose to change the channel again.

On the next station was a weather forecast. "And tonight we're expecting very strong ghosts from London, through the North and up into Scotland." The meteorologist reported.

She continually flipped through channels as they came upon multiple TV shows, commercials and news reports from all over the globe of people obsessing over and embracing the so called 'ghosts'.

"It's all over the world." The Doctor murmured as Rose finally ended on an episode of the Eastenders in which it seemed the 'ghosts' had become a regular part of the show. Shaking her head, she shut off the TV.

"When did it start?" he inquired, turning his attention to Jackie.

"Well, first of all, Peggy heard this noise in the cellar, so she goes down…"

"No, I mean worldwide." he amended as he moved on to massaging Rose's left foot.

"Oh." Jackie paused for a moment in thought. "Um, that was about two months ago. Jus' happened. Woke up one morning, and there they all were. Ghosts everywhere. We all ran round screaming and that." She chuckled. "Whole planet was panicking. No sign of you two, thank you very much." She waved her finger between him and her daughter. "Then it sort of sank in. It took us time to realize that we're lucky."

Rose placed her hand over her mother's. "What makes you think S' granddad?"

Jackie shrugged. "It jus' feels like him. There's that smell, those old cigarettes. Can't you smell it?"

"I wish I could mum," she shook her head sadly. "But I can't."

"You've got to make an effort." Her mother pleaded. "You've got to want it, sweetheart."

"The more you want it, the stronger it gets." The Doctor remarked.

"Sort of, yeah." she agreed.

"Like a psychic link." He nodded to himself. "Of course you want your old dad to be alive, but you're wishing him into existence. The ghosts are using that to pull themselves in."

Jackie's face fell. "You're spoilin' it."

"I'm sorry, Jackie," he replied sincerely. "But there's no smell, there's no cigarettes. Just a memory."

Rose frowned. "But if they're not ghosts, what are they then?"

"Yeah, but they're human!" Jackie said. "You can see them. They look human."

"She's got a point. I mean, they're all sort of blurred, but they're definitely people."

"Maybe not." he drifted off in thought for a moment. "They're pressing themselves into the surface of the world. But a footprint doesn't look like a boot." he pressed a kiss to Rose's ankle and set her foot down before jumping to his feet and offering her his hand. "C'mon Lewis, I think we have another mystery to solve."

**-oOo-**

"S' today's" Jackie said handing Rose a newspaper as she walked through the TARDIS doors.

"Thanks mum." Rose unfolded it and began to scan through the headlines. "Ok, according to the paper, they've elected a ghost as MP for Leeds." she called down into the gaping hole in the floor under the console. "Now don't tell me you're going to sit back and do nothing."

The Doctor quickly emerged from underneath the grating, sporting a rucksack on his back with a long hose attached to it and gave her a huge grin. "Who you gonna call?" he sing-songed happily as he showed off his newest invention with a little dance.

Rose couldn't help herself as she joined in on his little joke. "Ghostbusters!" she cried out, laughing.

"I ain't afraid of no ghosts." He took a moment to strut around the console and then took her hand and twirled her around as she continued to giggle.

Jackie rolled her eyes at the pair. "I'd of figured you for more of a Scooby-Doo type with all that runnin' ya do." she teased.

The Doctor scowled. "We only run when it's necessary." He looked to Rose for corroboration, but she just patted his arm while trying to hide an amused smile. He shook his head. "Oh, never mind." He reached back down into the grating, pulling out three metal cones and carried them towards the door. "When's the next shift?" he called back over his shoulder.

"Quarter to." Jackie replied as she followed him out and onto the playground. "But don't go causin' trouble." She watched as he began to set the cones on the ground in a triangular pattern. "What's that lot do?"

"Triangulates their point of origin." He explained.

"I don't suppose it's the Gelth?" Rose asked as she handed him a cord, and he plugged it into the back of one of the cones.

"Nah. They were just coming through one little rift. This lot are transposing themselves over the whole planet. Like tracing paper."

Jackie crossed her arms. "You're always doing this; reducing it to science. Why can't it be real? Just think of it, though. All the people we've lost. Our families coming back home. Don't you think it's beautiful?"

The Doctor paused in his work and looked her in the eyes. "I think it's horrific." he replied flatly before turning his attention back to her daughter. "Rose, give us a hand." He said as he pulled the main power cable into the TARDIS, dragging it up the ramp and plugging it into the console.

When Rose joined him, he began reviewing the readings on the monitor and firing off instructions. "As soon as the cones activate," he gestured towards the screen. "If that line goes into the red, press that button there." He pointed to a small grey button on the control panel. "If it doesn't stop," He pulled his sonic screwdriver from his breast pocket and handed it to her. "Setting fifteen B. Hold it against the port, eight seconds and stop."

"Fifteen B," she nodded. Eight seconds."

"If it goes into the blue," he continued. "Activate the deep scan on the left."

"Hang on a minute, I know. Push that one." She pointed to a medium size red button.

"Close." He grinned.

She smiled back at him and then moved her hand towards the lever right below it. "Hmm, this one?"

"Oh, well now you've just killed us."

She smacked him lightly on the arm and then pointed to a small blue button on the far right of the console. "S' that one." She gave him a tongue in tooth grin.

"You're brilliant you are." he pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly, and then turned to Jackie. "Now, what've we got? Two minutes to go?"

Looking down at her watch, she nodded and after another quick kiss for Rose, he grinned and bounded out the door.

Jackie sidled up to her daughter, crossing her arms. "Somethin's wrong isn't it?"

Rose's focus remained on the monitor as she answered. "He's jus' tryin' to sort it. He doesn't like not knowin' what's goin' on."

"No. S' more than that." Jackie argued. "I thought maybe he jus' didn't want to believe 'cause he couldn't explain it away with science, but I've been watchin' him and he's scared about somethin'. An' I've been around enough of these invasions the two of you seem to get caught up in to know when he's puttin' on a front. S' somethin' bad isn't it?"

Rose sighed and looked up to meet her mother's eyes. "I dunno mum. The truth is, he's been edgy for weeks but he won't talk about it."

"What's the line doing?" they heard him shout from outside the doors.

"It's all right. It's holding!" she hollered back and then turned back to her mother. "It'll be okay though. He'll figure it out, he always does."

**-oOo-**

The Doctor chuckled to himself as he finished setting up the cones. In a way, it was his own little muon trap, except less compact and without a step button and he wouldn't be dropping any of the ghosts into a containment unit, but still pretty cool.

"Here we go!" he shouted towards the TARDIS to let the two women inside know the shift was starting.

"The scanner's workin'." Rose called back. "It says delta one six."

**"**Come on then, you beauty!" he grinned, bouncing on his toes with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

There was a soft buzzing sound as the triangulation field came to life. The beams of electricity began to form a barrier that surrounded the slowly materializing form of a ghost. The Doctor watched silently for a moment before pulling out a pair of 3-D glasses and slipping them on. He then picked up a small control box and slowly increased the frequency of the energy.

"Don't like that much, do you?" he asked as the ghost began to writhe around inside the containment field. "Who are you? Where are you coming from? Whoa!" The ghost swung at him violently, knocking him backwards and making him cry out in surprise. "That's more like it! Not so friendly now, are you?"

The buzzing of the field suddenly started to become less prominent and the ghostly figure started to dissipate.

"Okay, not good." he muttered to himself and took a quick look around. Finally the ghost had completely vanished and the containment field immediately shut itself off. Realizing his little test may have drawn unwanted attention; he quickly gathered up the cones and darted back inside the TARDIS.

"I said so!" he announced to Rose as he tossed his coat over the railing and ran up to the console. "Those ghosts have been forced into existence from one specific point, and I can track down the source." he grinned and immediately pulled the dematerialization lever. "Allons-y!"

The TARDIS shuddered, knocking them backwards and The Doctor's arms wrapped around Rose protectively as they fell onto the jumpseat. Once the shaking subsided he pulled her up and made his way around the console flipping levers.

"Um, Doctor?"

**"**I like that. Allons-y. I should say Allons-y more often. Allons-y. Look sharp, Rose Tyler! Allons-y."

"Doctor," Rose tried again.

He continued pressing a few buttons as he made his way back towards her, completely oblivious to her attempts of getting his attention.

"And then it would be really brilliant if I met someone called Alonso, because then I could say Allons-y, Alonso every time." He grinned and then pulled her into his arms, kissing her soundly. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly in one last ditch effort to get his attention, but he instead took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth and deepen the kiss as his hands began roaming her body. His lips traveled along her jaw and then down her neck as his hands gripped her arse and pulled her flush against him. "Maybe we should move this to our room," he whispered huskily. "Allons-y."

The sound of a throat clearing behind him made The Doctor immediately tense up as a chill ran through his body. Slowly he looked over his shoulder to find an irritated looking Jackie Tyler sitting on a section of scaffolding and glaring at him.

Rose managed to keep herself from laughing at the 'deer in the headlights' look he was sporting as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "I was tryin' to tell you mum was still on board."

"If you can manage to keep it in your pants for a while I have some questions." Jackie hopped back down onto the grating and walked up the ramp to jam a finger against his chest. "And if we end up on Mars, I'm goin' to kill you."

The Doctor swallowed roughly and began rubbing the back of his neck. "Jackie, I can assure you…"

The TARDIS began to shake again, signaling their landing and putting an end to the awkward situation. He quickly moved back to the console and looked at the monitor to see where the calculations from the triangulation field had brought them, while Rose and Jackie stood on either side of him with equal interest. The screen showed a small loading bay that quickly began to fill up with fully armed soldiers, all taking a defensive stance and training their weapons on the TARDIS.

"Oh well, The Doctor sighed. "There goes the advantage of surprise. Still, cuts to the chase." He turned to Rose. "Stay in here, look after Jackie."

"Oh no you don't." she argued. "M' goin' with you."

"Rose, you're staying here till I know who they are, and what they want."

"Doctor," she moved around him, pressing her back to the doors with her arms outstretched in attempts to block his exit. "They've got guns."

"And I haven't. Which makes me the better person, don't you think?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and then looked over at Jackie with a raised brow.

Rolling her eyes, Jackie threw her hands up and then turned her back to them, muttering something about "Hormonal aliens being just as bad as regular men."

Returning his attention back to Rose, he pressed her against the door and kissed her so passionately that her legs almost gave out. When he pulled back, he smiled smugly at the dazed look on her face and then gently lifted her up and spun her away from the door, setting her down beside her mother.

"They can shoot me dead, but the moral high ground is mine." He raised his chin defiantly and then stepped out of the TARDIS to face the group of soldiers with his arms raised.

Sighing in frustration, Rose took her mother's arm and made to follow him, stopping when they reached the door that still remained open a crack. As they peered out of the small opening, they saw a smartly dressed business woman push her way through the soldiers, a big smile on her face as she approached The Doctor.

"Oh, how marvelous." The woman exclaimed as she began clapping "Oh, very good." She looked around the group of soldiers and gestured for them to follow in suit. "Superb. Happy day." She laughed as the soldiers began to clap as well.

The Doctor looked around in confusion and then slowly dropped his arms to his sides. "Um, thanks. Nice to meet you. I'm the Doctor."

The clapping began again in earnest, this time initiated by the soldiers before the woman joined in.

"Oh, I should say." She nodded. "Hurray!"

The Doctor laughed uncomfortably. "You, you've heard of me, then?"

"Well of course we have." She replied. "And I have to say, if it wasn't for you, none of us would be here."

The uneasy feeling he had been having seemed to be growing stronger as he eyed the woman wearily.

"The Doctor and the TARDIS." She announced, and they began to clap again.

He put a finger to his lips and then made a 'cut it out' motion in attempts to make them stop. "And you are?" he asked the woman once the applause died down.

"Oh, plenty of time for that." She waved dismissively. "But according to the records, you're not one for travelling alone. The Doctor and his companion. That's a pattern, isn't it, right?" The woman watched him closely, but his face was completely unreadable. "There's no point hiding anything, not from us." The woman sneered. "So where is she?"

The Doctor continued to look at the woman for a moment, studying her. Something about her came off as cold and calculating, not to mention the fact that she seemed to know a lot about him and Rose and that uneasy feeling was now changing over to one of dread. He still didn't know where they were or what these people wanted from them, but he was sure of one thing, there was no way in hell they were getting their hands on Rose. He kept the stoic mask in place for a few more moments while contemplating his options as he stared her down and then as the idea came to him, he grinned, slightly surprising the woman with his sudden mood swing.

"Yes. Sorry. Good point. She's just a bit shy, that's all." He turned and reached into the TARDIS, thankful of his failure to notice that Jackie had still been on board when they left the Powell Estates, and pulled her through the door. "But here she is, Rose Tyler." He looked her up and down. "Hmm. She's not the best I've ever had. Bit too blonde, not too steady on her pins, a lot of that." He made a talking motion with his hand and the group laughed as Jackie glared at him. "And just last week, she stared into the heart of the Time Vortex and aged fifty seven years. But she'll do." He shrugged.

Jackie looked taken aback. "I'm forty."

"Deluded." He shot back before turning back to the woman in charge. "Bless." He put a hand to his chest. "I'll have to trade her in. Do you need anyone? She's very good at tea. Weell, I say very good, I mean not bad. Weell, I say not bad." He waved his hand. "Anyway, lead on. Allons-y. But not too fast," he nodded at Jackie. "Her ankle's going."

The woman shook her head and motioned for them to follow.

"I'll show you where my ankle's going." Jackie hissed as she fell into step behind him.

Oh, he had a feeling she might make good on that promise later, but for now Rose was safe in the TARDIS and he had more time to figure out what was going on.

"It was only a matter of time until you found us," The woman informed him as she led them out of the room and down the hall. "And at last you've made it. I'd like to welcome you, Doctor." She pushed through a set of double doors and led them into a massive warehouse. "Welcome to Torchwood."

He looked around the room with slight trepidation. The place was filled with large wooden crates and military jeeps carrying more soldiers and in the center was a large UFO, surrounded by people in white lab coats.

"That's a Jathar Sunglider." He said in awe.

The woman walked over to stand next to him. "Came down to Earth off the Shetland Islands ten years ago."

"What, did it crash?"

"No," she scoffed. "We shot it down. It violated our airspace. Then we stripped it bare. The weapon that destroyed the Sycorax on Christmas Day," his head snapped back towards her and she smirked. "That was us. Now, if you'd like to come with me." She turned and began to walk away as he and Jackie exchanged a look of disgust. "The Torchwood Institute has a motto. If it's alien, it's ours. Anything that comes from the sky, we strip it down and we use it for the good of the British Empire."

"For the good of the what?" Jackie asked.

"The British Empire."

"There isn't a British Empire." Jackie argued.

The woman smirked again. "Not yet. Ah, excuse me," she said as one of the soldiers approached and handed her a large gun. "Now if you wouldn't mind, do you recognize this, Doctor?" she held the weapon out so he could get a better look.

"That's a particle gun."

"Good, isn't it?" she boasted. "Took us eight years to get it to work."

"It's the twenty first century. _You_ can't have particle guns." He stressed.

"We must defend our border against the alien." she replied firmly and then handed the particle gun back to the soldier. "Thank you, Sebastian, isn't it?"

"Yes, Ma'am." The young man replied.

"Thank you, Sebastian. I think it's very important to know everyone by name." she informed them. "Torchwood is a very modern organization. People skills. That's what it's all about these days. I'm a people person."

"Have you got anyone called Alonso?" he inquired, and Jackie lightly smacked his arm with the back of her hand.

"No, I don't think so" The woman looked at them curiously. "Is that important?"

"No, I suppose not." he scowled at Jackie, rubbing his arm. "What was your name?"

"Yvonne. Yvonne Hartman."

The Doctor nodded absently as he moved over to an open crate that had caught his attention. Reaching inside, he picked up a large metal object with a handle on the end.

"Ah, yes. Now, we're rather fond of these." Yvonne bragged. "The Magnaclamp. Found in a spaceship buried at the base of Mount Snowdon. Attach this to an object and it cancels the mass. I could use it to lift two tonnes of weight with a single hand. That's an imperial ton, by the way. Torchwood refuses to go metric."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and then forcefully threw the magna-clamp back into the crate, dusting off his hands and then turned and walked away. "So, what about these ghosts?" he called back over his shoulder.

"Ah yes, the ghosts." Yvonne replied. "They're uh, what you might call a side effect."

"Of what?"

"All in good time, Doctor. There is an itinerary, trust me."

"Oi! Where are you taking that?" Jackie demanded.

Her outburst drew The Doctor's attention and he looked up to see his TARDIS being carted off on the back of a truck.

"If it's alien, it's ours." Yvonne reminded her.

"You'll never get inside it." The Doctor commented casually.

Yvonne waved him off. "Hmm, Etcetera".

He watched as the TARDIS door opened a crack and Rose peeked through. When her eyes locked with his, The Doctor gave her a stern look and mouthed "Stay put." She nodded once and then shut the door again.

**-oOo-**

"If he thinks M' jus' gonna sit here and do nothin'…" Rose muttered to herself as she searched his coat pockets.

He'd left her on her own…again. Yeah, maybe he saw it as protecting her, but that's not what she wanted. They were a team, taking on the world together and she'd be damned if she'd let him use her pregnancy as an excuse to be overbearing and irrational. He chose her mother as backup…her mother. It wasn't that she thought her mother could hold her own. Jackie Tyler was a force in her own right, in fact she felt that's where most of her strong will came from, but as she had been in more of these types of situations, she knew she was far better suited to help The Doctor in his investigation. Besides that, the thought of her mother being in any possible danger was disconcerting. She knew The Doctor would keep her safe, but she still didn't like it. A brief revelation passed over her as she realized that must be how her mother felt when she and The Doctor were gallivanting across the universe.

"Psychic paper, psychic paper, aha!" she held her prize out in front of her and pressed her lips to the worn leather. With another quick check on the monitor to make sure the coast was clear, she pocketed the psychic paper and then quietly slipped out the TARDIS doors, making sure to lock them behind her.

Looking around the room, her gaze settled on a white lab coat that had been draped over a bench. Smiling at her luck, she slipped on the garment and headed off to start her own investigation, hoping that The Doctor was staying out of trouble and that she would be able to meet back up with him and her mother shortly.

**-oOo-**

"You're the enemy, you know?" Yvonne remarked at they walked along the hallway leading towards the "You're actually named in the Torchwood Foundation Charter of 1879 as an enemy of the Crown."

The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck. "1879, that was called Torchwood, that house in Scotland."

"That's right." she agreed. "Where you encountered Queen Victoria and the werewolf."

"I think he makes half of it up." Jackie retorted.

"Don't mind her" he bit back. "I think she's starting to go senile." If looks could kill, the searing glare she gave him at that moment could probably have regenerated him into his next body.

Yvonne continued on, ignoring their bickering. "Her Majesty created the Torchwood Institute with the express intention of keeping Britain great, and fighting the alien horde."

"But if I'm the enemy, does that mean that I'm a prisoner?" he asked tugging on his ear.

"Oh yes. But we'll make you perfectly comfortable. And there is so much you can teach us. Starting with this." She scanned her keycard which gave them admittance to a small lab where a massive sphere was suspended in midair. "Now, what do you make of that?"

One of the men in lab coats turned and approached the group. "You must be the Doctor." he said, extending his hand to the Time Lord. "Rajesh Singh. It's an honor, sir."

"Yeah." The Doctor remained focused on the object before him, barely registering the man.

"What is that thing?" Jackie asked.

"We got no idea." Yvonne said

"But what's wrong with it?" The older woman pressed.

Rajesh looked over at Jackie. "What makes you think there's something wrong with it?"

"I dunno." she shuddered. "It jus' feels weird."

"Well, the sphere has that effect on everyone." Yvonne assured her. "Makes you want to run and hide, like it's forbidden."

The Doctor moved away from the group and climbed the small set of stairs onto the platform and moving to where he was positioned right beneath the sphere. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his 3-D glasses and slipped them on as he continued to study the object.

"We tried analyzing it using every device imaginable." Rajesh informed him. "But according to our instruments, the sphere doesn't exist. It weighs nothing, it doesn't age. No heat, no radiation, and has no atomic mass."

"But I can see it." Jackie argued.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Rajesh chuckled. "It upsets people because it gives off nothing. It is absent."

"Well, Doctor?" Yvonne said impatiently.

"This is a Void Ship." he said softly.

Yvonne sighed and put her hands on her hips. "And what is that?"

"Well, it's impossible for starters." He removed his 3D glasses and stuck them back into his pocket. "I always thought it was just a theory, but it's a vessel designed to exist outside time and space, traveling through the Void."

He moved towards the edge of the small staircase and sat down, clasping his hands in front of him. So far in his search for answers all these new findings only seemed to bring him more questions. He was not only frustrated, but that feeling of uneasiness that had settled into his stomach was now making him slightly nauseous.

"And what's the Void?" Rajesh asked, pulling him from his trance.

The Doctor looked up at Yvonne and Rajesh who were watching him with rapt attention. He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "The space between dimensions. There's all sorts of realities around us, different dimensions, billions of parallel universes all stacked up against each other. The Void is the space in between, containing absolutely nothing. Imagine that. Nothing. No light, no dark, no up, no down, no life, no time. Without end." He paused, his gaze drifting past them as if seeing something they couldn't. "My people called it the Void. The Eternals call it the Howling. But some people call it Hell."

"But someone built the sphere." Rajesh pointed out. "What for? Why go there?"

The Doctor shrugged. "To explore? To escape? You could sit inside that thing and eternity would pass you by. The Big Bang, end of the Universe, start of the next, wouldn't even touch the sides. You'd exist outside the whole of creation."

"You see, we were right." Yvonne smiled and patted Rajesh on the shoulder. "There is something inside it."

"Oh, yes." The Doctor stated ominously.

"So how do we get in there?" Rajesh asked eagerly.

"We don't!" He snapped as he leapt up from the staircase and walked back over to Jackie. "We send that thing back into Hell." he told them his voice laced with anger. "How did it get here in the first place?"

Yvonne crossed her arms defensively. "Well, that's how it all started. The sphere came through into this world, and the ghosts followed in its wake."

The Doctor ran his hands through his hair. He was tired of all these vague clues and nothing seemed to be adding up. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. Turning back to her, his next words were spoken through gritted teeth. "Show me."

**-oOo-**

Rose was suspended in midair as she grasped the lever tightly, fear in her eyes as she stared back at him. "Hold on!" he begged her over and over again, trying to reach out for her and knowing it was useless. Then she was slipping, falling, being swept backwards towards the bright white of nothingness. She was screaming but he couldn't get to her, he couldn't reach her, and he cried out her name in agony as she was ripped away from him and then…

"Doctor?"

When he came back to his senses, he found himself on the tile floor, hands behind him holding himself up, and Jackie kneeling in front of him with a worried look on her face.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?"

"What?" he wiped the tears from his face with shaking hands. "What happened?"

"When we came into the room you collapsed. Your face went all pale and it looked like you were havin' some sort a' fit or somethin'." Jackie took a cup of water from one of the employees, thanking her and passed it to The Doctor. "Here drink some of this."

He shook his head. "I'm fine Jackie."

"No you're not damn it, now drink this." she thrust the cup into his hands.

"Fine." He grumbled and downed it in one sip. "Happy now?"

Jackie just shook her head as she got to her feet and reached down to give him a hand up. As he stood, his gaze fell to the white wall behind her. "Think you can stand on your own, or do you need a chair?" she asked him. When he didn't respond she looked up to see his face had gone pale again. "Doctor what is it?"

"Where are we?" he asked, now knowing what had triggered the vision as his eyes fixated on the large white wall that had been haunting his dreams. He looked over his shoulder to where Yvonne was discussing something with one of the techs. "I said, where are we?" his voice increasing in pitch.

"The lever room." Yvonne replied as she walked towards him. "You said you wanted us to show you where it all started. The sphere came through there." She pointed to the white wall, but he refused to look at it again. Seeing his discomfort, she dropped her arm but continued speaking. "It's a hole in the world. Not active at the moment, but when we fire particle engines at that exact spot, the breech opens up."

Taking a few deep breaths, he forced himself to turn and look at the wall again, pulling out his 3-D glasses once more and slipping them on. "How did you even find it?"

"We were getting warning signs for years. A radar black spot. So we built this place, Torchwood Tower. The breech was six hundred foot above sea level. It was on the only way to reach it."

"You built a skyscraper just to reach a spatial disturbance?" he furrowed his brows. "How much money have you got?"

Yvonne shrugged and gave him a little grin. "Enough." Turning away from him, she walked back to her office where Jackie was looking out the window.

"Hold on a minute, we're in Canary Wharf. Must be." She turned to Yvonne who had joined her at the window. "This building, it's Canary Wharf."

"Well, that is the public name for it." Yvonne agreed. "But to those in the know, it's Torchwood."

The Doctor; anxious to get away from the dreaded wall, walked over to the office and paused in the doorway, leaning one arm on the frame. "So, you find the breach, probe it, the sphere comes through six hundred feet above London, bam. It leaves a hole in the fabric of reality. And that hole, you think, oh, shall we leave it alone? Shall we back off? Shall we play it safe? Nah, you think let's make it bigger!" he shouted sarcastically.

Yvonne crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "It's a massive source of energy. If we can harness that power, we need never depend on the Middle East again. Britain will become truly independent." She looked down at her watch. "Look, you can see for yourself. Next Ghost Shift's in two minutes." Brushing past him, she headed out of the office and back into the lever room.

"Cancel it." He demanded.

"I don't think so." She waved him off.

"I'm warning you, cancel it!" He growled; his anger starting to seep through again.

"Oh, exactly as the legends would have it." She spun around to face him. "The Doctor, lording it over us. Assuming alien authority over the Rights of Man."

"Let me show you." Pulling his sonic screwdriver from his breast pocket, he turned around and walked back into her office, standing in front of the glass wall. "Sphere comes through," he tuned on the sonic; pointing it at the glass which began to crack. "But when it made the hole, it cracked the world around it. The entire surface of this dimension splintered." A crackling sound filled the air as the glass continued to splinter in all directions. "And that's how the ghosts get through. That's how they get everywhere. They're bleeding through the fault lines. Walking from their world, across the Void and into yours, with the human race hoping and wishing and helping them along. But too many ghosts, and…" he tapped the glass with one finger and shattered completely, scattering shards across the floor.

"Well, in that case we'll have to be more careful." Yvonne replied defiantly and turned back to her staff. "Positions! Ghost Shift in one minute."

"Miss Hartman," he implored her. "I am asking you, please don't do it."

"We have done this a thousand times."

"Then stop at a thousand!" he bellowed.

"We're in control of the ghosts." She said snidely. "The levers can open the breach, but equally they can close it."

The Doctor glared at her for a moment and then his demeanor quickly changed to one of nonchalance. "Okay." He chirped, pocketing his screwdriver and walking back to her office.

Yvonne was completely flabbergasted by his change in behavior and scrunched up her face in confusion. "Sorry?"

"Never mind." He replied, wheeling out a chair and plopping down into it. "As you were."

"What, is that it?" she asked incredulously.

"No, fair enough. Said my bit. Don't mind me." He looked at the man occupying the desk next to him. "Any chance for a cup of tea?"

"Ghost Shift in twenty seconds." One of the techs called out.

The Doctor rubbed his hands together. "Mmm, can't wait to see it."

"You can't stop us, Doctor."

"No, absolutely not." He looked over at Jackie. "Pull up a chair, Rose. Come and watch the fireworks."

Jackie snorted softly and moved over to stand next to his chair, resting her arm over the top.

"Ghost Shift in ten seconds." The tech spoke up again and then began the countdown. "Nine… Eight…" The tension in the room heightened as the Torchwood head attempted to stare down the alien. "Seven…Six… Five…" The Doctor remained calm, even wagging his eyebrows to the woman's annoyance as Jackie watched with a look of bemusement. It was just a matter of who would break first. "Four…Three…Two…"

"Stop the shift!" Yvonne shouted. "I said stop!"

"Thank you." He told her with all the sincerity he could muster.

"I suppose it makes sense to get as much intelligence as possible. But," she said warningly. "The programme will recommence, as soon as you've explained everything."

"I'm glad to be of help." He grinned

"And someone clear up this glass." She shouted to the staff before looking back at the Time Lord smugly. "They did warn me, Doctor. They said you like to make a mess."

Jackie's eyes narrowed as she watched the woman walk away. "I don't like that woman one bit. She's hidin' somethin'."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I think so too."

**-oOo-**

Rose made her way down the corridor as inconspicuously as possible. After seeing a few other people dressed in lab coats head down this area, she decided it was the best place to start as any to find The Doctor and her mother. She stopped in front of one of the doors she had seen the technicians coming in and out of, noticing it required a key card for access. Smiling to herself, she pulled out the psychic paper and kissed it before putting it up against the card reader. After a couple of seconds the light flashed green followed by a small beeping noise and the door opened, granting her entrance. As she stepped into the room, she was immediately transfixed by the large spherical object suspended in midair. As she approached it, an uneasy feeling washed over her and she felt a small jolt in her stomach which caused her to look down and place a hand over her belly.

"Can I help you?" a man's voice asked, startling her.

"I was jus'…" she looked back over at the sphere.

"Try not to look. It does that to everyone." He patted her shoulder. "What do you want?"

"Sorry. They sent me from personnel. They said some man had been taken prisoner. Some sort of Doctor? I'm just checkin' the lines of communication. Did they tell you anythin'?"

He eyed her carefully. "Can I see your authorization?"

"Sure." She smiled politely and handed him the psychic paper.

"That's lucky." He said as he studied her credentials. "You see, everyone at Torchwood has at least a basic level of psychic training." The man removed his glasses and held up the psychic paper. "This paper is blank, and you're a fake."

As he activated the com link in his ear and called for security, Rose began surveying the area for the best way to make a quick escape. She vaguely heard the man speaking to someone about checking the door locks until she heard the voice. "Doing it now, sir." Looking over the man's shoulder, she tried to hold back her surprise and the smile that threatened to bloom over her face as she stared into the eyes of her childhood friend. Grinning, Mickey placed a finger to his lips in a shushing motion and then gave her a thumbs up.

The man in front of her put a hand on her shoulder and gestured to a chair in front of a large table. "Please take a seat."

Rose sighed and did as she was asked. Tossing a look over her shoulder again, she caught Mickey's eye and he gave her a wink.

The man who had apprehended her soon joined her at the table and opened his laptop. "Let's just find out who you are now, shall we."

**-oOo-**

"So these ghosts, whatever they are, did they build the sphere?" Yvonne asked giving The Doctor a disapproving look when she saw his feet propped up on her desk.

Hunched down in the chair opposite her, he shrugged. "Must have. Aimed it at this dimension like a cannon ball."

A buzzing noise drew her attention back to the laptop in front of her and a voice came over the com link. "Yvonne, it's Rajesh. I think you should see this. We've got a visitor. We don't know who she is, but funnily enough, she arrived at the same time as the Doctor."

The Doctor smiled softly, he should have known she wouldn't stay put. He quickly hid his amusement when Yvonne looked up and turned her laptop towards him.

"She one of yours?" she asked in a disgruntled tone.

He shook his head, his lower lip protruding slightly. "Never seen her before in my life."

"Good. Then we can have her shot." She replied cheekily. Her smile quickly faded when she looked up from the screen and saw the expression on The Doctor's face, and for the first time, she was truly frightened of the alien.

His eyes were dark and his teeth were bared as he spoke his next words in an unnaturally calm manner. "If you harm Rose in any way, you'll answer to me."

Yvonne swallowed audibly and she nodded. "I apologize Doctor, I was just kidding. She'll be fine, I assure you."

His expression softened only slightly until he looked back at the screen and saw Rose give him a little wave. Only then did his resolve crumble at the sight of her smiling face and he waved back with a grin of his own.

As Yvonne watched the exchange, she looked up at Jackie who had moved closer to put a comforting hand on The Doctor's shoulder.

Yvonne cleared her throat. "So, if that's Rose Tyler, who's she?" she asked, pointing to Jackie.

"I'm her mother."

"Oh, you travel with her mother?" she teased The Doctor in attempts to lighten the mood again.

"He kidnapped me." Jackie asserted.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and sighed. "Please, when Torchwood comes to write my complete history, don't tell people I travelled through time and space with her mother."

"Charming." Jackie remarked as Yvonne laughed.

"I've got a reputation to uphold." He pouted.

The sound of the machines outside of her office going online drew Yvonne out of her chair. "Excuse me? Everyone? I thought I said stop the ghost shift." Stepping out the door, she saw three of the techs sitting at their computers, furiously typing away. "Who started the programme? But I ordered you to stop!" The lever on the right hand side of the room began drifting upwards and she started to panic. "Who's doing that? Right, step away from the monitors, everyone. Gareth, Addy, stop what you're doing, right now. Matt, step away from your desk. That's an order!" The technicians continued typing as if in a trance, completely oblivious of her pleas. "Stop the levers! Andrew, Stop the levers!" Two more technicians swept into the room in attempts to stop the levers from locking into position.

The Doctor stood silently watching the entranced trio and then noticed one of the ear pieces on the female technician. "What's she doing?" he said absently as he walked over to the young woman's desk.

Yvonne soon joined him in attempts to get the girl to respond. "Addy, step away from the desk. Listen to me. Step away from the desk."

"She can't hear you." The Doctor said, snapping his fingers in front of the young woman's face and getting no reaction. "They're overriding the system. We're going into Ghost Shift." He leaned in to get a closer look at the earpiece and his stomach dropped. It was the same technology he had seen in Pete's world, when they went up against the…he shook his head. This wasn't happening, not now. "It's the ear piece. It's controlling them." He pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and adjusted the settings. "I've seen this before. Sorry. I'm so sorry." He whispered to the girl as he pointed the sonic at her earpiece and zapped it. She screamed and the other two male technicians' cries began to fill the room as well before they all collapsed onto their desks.

"What happened?" Yvonne looked back and forth between the trio of workers. "What did you just do?"

"They're dead." He replied flatly.

"You killed them?" Jackie screeched.

"No." he said firmly. "Someone else did that long before I got here."

"But those ear pieces," Yvonne said. "They're standard comms devices. How does it control them?"

"Trust me, just leave them alone." He ran over to the next computer and began imputing calculations.

"But what are they?" she attempted to dislodge one of the devices from the female technicians ear and when it came free, it was attached to a long strand of grey matter. "Oh, God!" she cried out dropping it to the floor. "It goes inside their brain."

"What about the Ghost Shift?" he called out.

"Ninety percent there and still running." She joined him and looked down at the monitor. "Can't you stop it?"

He shook his head. "They're still controlling it. They've hi-jacked the system." He pointed his sonic at the screen retrieving the calculations. "It might be a remote transmitter but it's got to be close by. I can trace it. Jackie," he walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I need you to stay here. As soon as I find out where this signal is coming from, I'm going to find Rose and we're going back to the TARDIS."

Jackie nodded and patted his hand. "You be careful sweetheart. Don't go gettin' yourself into any trouble."

"Ah, but trouble's just the bits in between remember?" he grinned and gave her a wink before heading towards the door.

"Keep those levers down." Yvonne instructed the remaining staff in the room as she moved to follow him. "Keep them offline."

**-oOo-**

"What the hell? Yvonne, I thought you said the next Ghost Shift was cancelled." Rajesh spoke into the com link. "What's going on? Yvonne?"

A loud banging noise filled the air, and the room began to shake slightly. Rose immediately jumped back from the table and looked around the room. Mickey who had been standing near the door working on the control panel was doing the same.

"It can't be." Rajesh looked up from the computer screen in astonishment. "It's active!" he pressed the com link once more. "We've got a problem down here. Yvonne, can you hear me? Yvonne, for God's sake. The sphere is active! The readings are going wild! It's got weight, it's got mass, an electromagnetic field. It exists!"

The room shook again, even more violently than before and a loud banging sound came from the entry door.

"The door's sealed." Rajesh said, looking up from the computer. "Automatic quarantine. We can't get out!"

"It's all right, babe." Mickey said as he moved to stand behind Rose. "We've beaten them before, we can beat them again. That's why I'm here." He chuckled. "The fight goes on."

"Mickey Smith, action hero." She laughed and then turned to him in realization. "The ghosts are Cybermen." Mickey nodded. "But how were they able to cross over?"

"We had them beaten, but then they escaped." Mickey explained. "They just vanished. They found a way through to this world, but so did we."

Rose shook her head in amazement. "The Doctor said that was impossible."

"Yeah, it's not the first time he's been wrong." He grinned. "Especially judging by um," he pointed towards Rose's stomach. "Remind me that I owe him one of my patented 'told ya so' dances."

Rose giggled again and then paused. "Wait, are you tellin' me the two of you discussed…" she gestured to her stomach. "I mean you talked about me and him…" she crossed her arms. "Seriously?"

"We may have done some male bonding towards the end of my stay, yeah. Although it was more of me talkin' and him bein'… well, him. I already knew you two were gettin' it on after France and you were tryin' to protect my feelings, so he wouldn't say much, but he was convinced that you weren't compatible in that way." He laughed to himself. "Damn, I should have bet him some money."

"Oi!" Rose smacked his arm. "So, what's inside that sphere?" she asked, changing the subject.

Mickey shrugged. "No one knows. Cyber Leader, Cyber King, Emperor of the Cybermen. Whatever it is, he's dead meat." He grinned. "How'd you two get involved anyway? I mean, I know you're good at findin' and runnin' headlong into danger…"

Another quake rumbled through the room and they steadied themselves to remain upright till it passed.

Rose blew out the breath she was holding. "Well, we came back to visit mum and then there were these ghosts everywhere, and you know how The Doctor can't resist solving a mystery." He nodded in agreement. "So he traced the energy readings back here and then he and mum basically got arrested by these army guys with guns…"

"Wait, Jackie's here?" Mickey asked suddenly.

"Yeah, why?"

He got a far off look in his eye for a moment before chuckling to himself. "Oh, this aughta be good."

Rose furrowed her brows. "What are you on about?"

"S' nothin'. I'll explain later." The shaking began again, and he returned his attention to the sphere." Right now I'm ready to bust some heads."

Rose smiled. "S' really good to see you Mick."

"Yeah." He gave her a quick hug. "S' good to see you too."

**-oOo-**

The corridor had been empty except for the two soldiers Yvonne had appointed as their guardians as soon as she saw them approaching. The Doctor held his sonic out in front of him as he used the calculations he had downloaded from the computer to trace the signal. Coming around the corner, he stopped short at the sight of the plastic sheeting hanging from the ceiling.

"What's down here?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know." Yvonne moved to stand beside him. "I think it's building work. It's just renovations."

"You should go back." He replied calmly.

"Think again." She scoffed as she began to follow him through the plastic curtains. He stopped again as the sonic signaled that the trace was complete. "What is it?" she asked staring at the pulsing blue light. "What's down here?

"Ear pieces, ear pods. This world's colliding with another," he gritted his teeth. "And I think I know which one.

The sound of hammering footsteps surrounded them as large shadowy figures appeared behind the plastic sheeting.

Yvonne gasped. "What are they?"

"They came through first. The advance guard." He informed the group as the figures began tearing through the plastic and advancing on them. "Cybermen!" he spat.

The soldiers quickly moved in front of him and Yvonne and opened fire on the metal men. Looking for a way out, The Doctor ripped down one of the plastic sheets only to find more Cybermen behind it. The death screams of the soldiers filled the air and he closed his eyes in temporary defeat. "We surrender." He growled to the metal man in front of them and put his hands up while gesturing for Yvonne to do the same.

Giving him a frightened look, she raised her own hands and repeated shakily. "We surrender."

"_You will come with us._" The Cyberman stated as it turned and led them from the room.

**-oOo-**

The shaking continued intermittently, always following a loud banging noise that seemed to be coming from the sphere.

Rajesh was still at his computer, attempting to reach someone through the com link, while Rose and Mickey continued to catch up despite the constant struggle of trying not to fall down during each quake. Suddenly the shaking came to a halt and the sphere shuddered violently, emitting a high pitched squeal and then coming to a standstill as well.

"Here we go." Mickey murmured as he shrugged off his lab coat and threw his ear piece to the floor. He looked over at Rose and flashed her another grin. "I know what's in there, and I'm ready for them. I've got just the thing." He quickly ran across the room and pulled a massive gun out from underneath the platform below the sphere. Hefting it up he brandished it proudly. "This is going to blast them to Hell."

Rose looked back towards the platform. "Um, did you bring enough to share with the class?" Mickey looked at her questioningly. "What, jus' 'cause M' a girl doesn't mean I can't handle a weapon." she put her hands on her hips. "I recently helped kill the devil."

Mickey laughed. "Oh, you're definitely gonna have to fill me in on that one."

"Samuel, what are you doing?" Rajesh asked, eyeing the gun as he moved to join them.

Mickey looked back at the man and snickered. "The name's Mickey. Mickey Smith." He turned back to the sphere and cocked his gun. "Defending the Earth."

**-oOo-**

"Get away from the machines. Do what they say. Don't fight them!" The Doctor announced as they were led back into the lever room.

The two technicians who were holding onto the levers looked at him in confusion, but before they could step away, the Cybermen extended their arms, activating the guns attached to their wrists and ignoring the Doctor's pleas of "Don't shoot", killed them both.

Yvonne screamed and Jackie grabbed onto The Doctor's arm. "What are they?"

One of the metal men turned towards her._ "__We are the Cybermen." _It stated._ "The Ghost Shift will be increased to one hundred percent."_

The Cyberman activated the levers once more and as they shifted into place, the system's voice came over the intercom. "ONLINE."

"Here come the ghosts." The Doctor said as the light in the room grew brighter and the 'ghosts' appeared once more.

"But these Cybermen," Jackie leaned in as she shielded her eyes. "What've they got to do with the ghosts?"

"Do you never listen?" he sighed. "A footprint doesn't look like a boot."

Another one of the Cybermen stepped out in front of them. "_Achieving full transfer_."

"They're Cybermen." The Doctor explained. "All of the ghosts are Cybermen. Millions of them, right across the world." Within a few seconds the translucent figures solidified into an army of fully formed Cybermen.

"They're invading the whole planet." Yvonne whispered.

He shook his head. "It's not an invasion. It's too late for that. It's a victory."

An alarm began to sound from one of the computer monitors. "SPHERE ACTIVATED. SPHERE ACTIVATED. SPHERE ACTIVATED. SPHERE ACTIVATED." The system repeated.

The Doctor rushed over to get a better look. The system readings showed a large spike in activity from the sphere lab, signaling the Void Ship was now active. "I don't understand." He ran a hand through his hair and turned to the lead Cyberman. "The Cybermen don't have the technology to build a Void Ship. That's way beyond you. How did you create that sphere?"

_"__The sphere is not ours."_ The Cyberman responded.

"What?" The Doctor felt a cold chill run through his body.

_"__The sphere broke down the barriers between worlds. We only followed. Its origin is unknown." _

"Then what's inside it?" he wondered aloud. His hearts suddenly began to beat rapidly in his chest. He knew what was inside, his daughter showed him in that vision, and things were about to go from bad to worse. He needed to get them out right now, but Rose was…oh no. "Rose." He breathed out. "Rose is in that room."

Jackie gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

**-oOo-**

Inside the small laboratory, Rose stood beside Mickey watching apprehensively as the sphere opened and began to emit a radiant light. As Rajesh moved to stand behind them in awe, four shadowy figures began to immerge from the inside. Large, pepper pot shaped objects with elongated…"Eyestalks," she breathed, and all at once she knew what they were now facing.

**"****Location, Earth. Life forms detected. Exterminate!"**

"Oh, my God." Rose put one hand to her mouth as the other went to her stomach as she felt another jolt. Mickey seeing her distress, pushed her behind him as they watched four Daleks emerge from the sphere and lower themselves onto the ground in front of them.

"That's not Cybermen." Mickey discerned as the horrific electronic sounding voices filled the air.

**"****Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"**

**A/N" Whew. Longest chapter yet. Hope you guys enjoyed it and reviews are once again welcome. Se ya next week.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Well here we are at the season finale, dun…dun…dun. Hope you guys enjoy it and I want to thank you all once again for the reviews. You guys keep telling me if you like it, and I'll keep writing. Deal? ****:)**

* * *

><p><strong>Previously:<strong>

_Inside the small laboratory, Rose stood beside Mickey watching apprehensively as the sphere opened and began to emit a radiant light. As Rajesh moved to stand behind them in awe, four shadowy figures began to immerge from the inside. Large__,__pepper pot shaped objects with elongated…"Eyestalks," she breathed, and all at once she knew what they were now facing. _

**_"_****_Location, Earth. Life forms detected. Exterminate!"_**

_"__Oh, my God." Rose put one hand to her mouth as the other went to her stomach as she felt another jolt. Mickey seeing her distress, pushed her behind him as they watched four Daleks emerge from the sphere and lower themselves onto the ground in front of them._

_"__That's not Cybermen." Mickey discerned as the horrific electronic sounding voices filled the air. _

**_"_****_Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"_**

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><p><strong>Chapter 10 – Into The Void<strong>

Daleks. It had to be Daleks. As if the Cybermen weren't already enough of a problem. Truth be told, out of all of the alien threats Rose and The Doctor had faced over their time together, nothing scared her more than the Daleks. She had faced them before, both times during The Doctor's 9th regeneration. The first was in Utah in the year 2012, in an underground bunker owned by one Mr. Henry Van Statten. He had been keeping a Dalek prisoner as part of his _unique_ collection. When she saw how it had been tortured, she actually felt sorry for the creature, and in her attempts to console it, her touch allowed the Dalek to absorb some of her DNA. Daleks were cold, unfeeling and devoid of all emotion; having completely purged themselves of them in the belief that they made you weak, so the newfound feelings it gained from her touch seemingly drove it mad until it begged for death. It was after that experience that The Doctor first told her about the Time War, revealing that the Daleks were ultimately his mortal enemies.

The second time they crossed paths was on satellite five. It was then when she got to see their true nature first hand. The Dalek emperor had managed to survive the Time War, created a new army, and was hell bent on conquering every planet within their reach, beginning with Earth. She remembered the fear in The Doctor's eyes although he tried to remain stoic for her benefit, even sending her away to protect her. But as scared as she was, she knew she wouldn't leave him there alone to die. Although until recently, her memories of that day had been jumbled, she now knew it was her who had destroyed the entire fleet while in the form of Bad Wolf. _'Yeah, well it seems you missed a few.'_ she mentally chastised herself. Knowing now that she would once again need to put that fear aside and focus on what needed to be done, she quickly took the initiative, stepping out in front of Mickey.

"Daleks!" she shouted, abruptly halting their advancement. "You're called Daleks. I know your name. Think about it how can I know that? A human who knows about the Daleks and the Time War. If you want to know how, then keep us alive. That's all M' askin'. Me and my friends." she gestured to the two men standing behind her.

"Yeah," Mickey nodded following her lead. "Daleks. Time War. Me too."

"Yeah, and me." Rajesh added.

**"YOU WILL BE NECESSARY." **The head Dalek turned to the three behind it. **"REPORT. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE GENESIS ARK?"**

**"****STATUS, HIBERNATION." **

**"****COMMENCE AWAKENING. THE GENESIS ARK MUST BE PROTECTED ABOVE ALL ELSE."** The head Dalek responded.

Mickey moved to stand next to Rose again. "The Daleks?" he questioned in a low voice. I thought you said they were all dead."

"Never mind that." she said absently. "We need to figure out what the hell that Genesis Ark is?"

**-oOo-**

"I need to get down there now." The Doctor said as he stared at the monitor. "I need to get to Rose."

"Doctor what is it?" Jackie asked as she watched him with growing concern. "What's down there with her?"

He looked up and caught her expression. "Jackie, I will do whatever it takes to get her back." he replied sincerely, as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Do you understand me? Whatever it takes."

Jackie nodded, noting the fear and worry that were mirrored in the alien's eyes. They both stepped back just as The Cyberleader approached, but instead of stopping it walked straight past them and into Yvonne's office.

"_You will talk to your central world authority and order global surrender." _it commanded.

Yvonne laughed. "Oh, do some research. We haven't got a central world authority."

_"You have now. I will speak on all global wavelengths. This broadcast is for human kind." _Activating the com device on its chest plate, the Cyberleader walked towards her window and began to broadcast a worldwide message through the units stationed on the ground.

_"Cybermen now occupy every land mass on this planet, but you need not fear. Cybermen will remove fear. Cybermen will remove sex and class and color and creed. You will become identical. You will become like us." _

The Doctor moved over to the window as well, followed by Jackie and Yvonne as they watched the events unfold below them. There was chaos in the streets. Soldiers and civilians alike being gunned down, and London was burning.

_"I ordered surrender." _The Cyberleader stated.

"They're not taking instructions. Don't you understand?" The Doctor yelled. "You're on every street, you're in their homes, you've got their children! Of course they're going to fight."

The Cyberleader turned towards the Doctor once more. "_The world will surrender and become like us. This is the new age of the Cybermen."_

**-oOo-**

"What do you suppose they want?" Rajesh asked as he eyed their captors.

"Death, destruction, complete domination of the world." Rose answered bitterly. "They're completely devoid of emotions, and they want to make all livin' creatures jus' like them."

**"WHICH OF YOU IS LEAST IMPORTANT?" **The head Dalek demanded.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose spat.

**"WHICH OF YOU IS LEAST IMPORTANT?" **

"No," she shook her head. "We don't work like that. None of us."

**"DESIGNATE THE LEAST IMPORTANT!" **

Rajesh calmly stood up. "This is my responsibility."

"Don't." she said grabbing hold of his arm. "You're givin' them exactly what they want."

"I uh, I represent the Torchwood Institute." He said as he removed his arm from her grasp and stood before the head Dalek. "Anything you need, you come through me. Leave these two alone."

**"YOU WILL KNEEL."**

"What for?" He asked timidly, looking back at Rose who gave him a pleading look and shook her head no.

**"KNEEL." **

Rajesh turned back and slowly lowered himself onto the floor in a kneeling position, awaiting the Daleks questions.

**"THE DALEKS NEED INFORMATION ABOUT CURRENT EARTH HISTORY." **

"Yeah, well, I can give you a certain amount of intelligence but nothing that will compromise Homeland security." he replied.

**"SPEECH IS NOT NECESSARY. WE WILL EXTRACT BRAINWAVES." **

Rajesh watched as all four Daleks began to advance on him wielding what looked like large plungers on an extended metal pole and he immediately began to panic. "Don't! I…I'll tell you everything you need." As the plunger-like devices enveloped his head from all sides, he screamed out in agony.

Rose's natural instinct to help made her immediately step forward, but Mickey grabbed her around the waist and held her back. "You can't help him now Rose." He whispered.

The last of Rajesh's screams echoed throughout the room, and as they watched his mummified corpse drop to the floor, Rose turned in Mickey's arms and buried her head into his shoulder.

**"HIS MIND SPOKE OF A SECOND SPECIES INVADING EARTH INFECTED BY THE SUPERSTITION OF GHOSTS."**

"You didn't need to kill him!" Rose shouted as she turned to face them once more.

**"NEITHER DID WE NEED HIM ALIVE.**" The head Dalek stated before turning to one of its subordinates. **"DALEK THAY, INVESTIGATE OUTSIDE." **

**"I OBEY." **it responded before turning away and rolling out of the room.

**"ESTABLISH VISUAL CONTACT. LOWER COMMUNICATIONS BARRIER."**

A large screen appeared midair, right where the sphere had been. They were now able to see everything that Dalek Thay saw as it made its way down the corridor.

**-oOo-**

The Doctor watched the Cybermen warily as he continued contemplating ways to get out of the room undetected and make his way to the lower levels to Rose. He knew he couldn't just leave Jackie on her own. It was his fault she was in the middle of all this since he chose to bring her with him, but making it to the TARDIS at this point was a risk and he was running out of options. His attention was quickly drawn back to the present when he heard the Cyberleader calling out to its troops.

_"Scans detect unknown technology active within Sphere chamber." _

_"Cybermen will investigate." _

_"Units ten six five and ten six six will investigate Sphere chamber." _The Cyberleader ordered.

_"We obey."_

The Cyberleader accessed Yvonne's laptop, stabilizing a visual link through the units that had been sent to investigate the sphere chamber. As the units made their way down the corridor, the image that appeared on the screen justified The Doctor's fears and made his blood run cold. Yvonne and Jackie watched him with matching worried expressions as the color drained from his face and he stumbled backwards into one of the desks.

**"IDENTIFY YOURSELVES." **The Dalek on the screen stated.

_"You will identify first." _The Cyber Units contended, keeping their position.

**"STATE YOUR IDENTITY."**

_"You will identify first." _

**"IDENTIFY!"**

_"That answer is unacceptable and illogical. You will modify." _

**"DALEKS DO NOT TAKE ORDERS." **

_"You have identified as Daleks."_

**"OUTLINE RESEMBLES THE INFERIOR SPECIES KNOWN AS CYBERMEN."**

Jackie timidly placed her hand on The Doctor's shoulder. "Those things are the Daleks?" she asked quietly. The Doctor nodded without looking back at her. "Rose told me about them. She said they terrified her. Do you think they've… Doctor, is she dead?"

The Doctor finally met her eyes, fire blazing in his own. "Phone!" He hissed holding out his hand.

"What?" she looked at him confusedly.

"Give me your phone!" he just about shouted at her.

As she handed it over, he quickly scrolled through her phone book and dialed Rose's number. Holding it up to his ear, he counted his heartbeats as he waited for her to answer. After a few agonizing seconds, the call connected. He could hear another Dalek speaking in the background, but there was no response from Rose.

"Rose?" he whispered. Rose can you hear me?" he looked down at Jackie. "She's answered but she's not saying anything. Rose, if you can hear me, I'm coming to get you."

**"WE MUST PROTECT THE GENESIS ARK."**

The Doctor kept the phone to his ear but looked back at the screen momentarily distracted. "The Genesis Ark?" he repeated quizzically.

_"Our species are similar, though your design is inelegant." _

**"DALEKS HAVE NO CONCEPT OF ELEGANCE."**

_"This is obvious. But consider our technologies are compatible. Cybermen plus Daleks. Together, we could upgrade the Universe." _

**"YOU PROPOSE AN ALLIANCE?"**

_"This is correct."_

**"REQUEST DENIED." **

The Cybermen quickly armed themselves. _"Hostile elements will be deleted." _They responded as they opened fire.

The Dalek easily absorbed the shots before shouting out **"EXTERMINATE!" **and killing them both.

_"Open visual link." _The Cyberleader once again commanded. _"Daleks, be warned. You have declared war upon the Cybermen."_

**"THIS IS NOT WAR. THIS IS PEST CONTROL." **

_"We have five million Cybermen. How many are you?"_

**"FOUR." **

_"You would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks?" _

**"WE WOULD DESTROY THE CYBERMEN WITH ONE DALEK. YOU ARE SUPERIOR IN ONLY ONE RESPECT."**

_"What is that?"_

**"YOU ARE BETTER AT DYING. RAISE COMMUNICATIONS BARRIER!" **

The laptop screen switched to static before shutting off and the phone in The Doctor's hand beeped softly, signaling the call's end. "Damn it!" he cursed, looking back at Jackie. "I lost the signal."

**-oOo-**

**"WAIT!" **One of the Daleks cried out as the screen faded to static. **"REWIND IMAGE BY NINE RELLS. IDENTIFY GRID SEVEN GAMMA FRAME." **As the video rewound, they paused it, focusing on an image of The Doctor standing in the background behind the Cyberleader. **"THIS MALE REGISTERS AS ENEMY." **

The head Dalek turned towards Rose.** "THE FEMALE'S HEARTBEAT HAS INCREASED." **

"Yeah, tell me about it." Mickey joked. "The worst part was they denied it for over a year."

Rose elbowed him in the stomach and gave him a warning look.

**"IDENTIFY HIM." **

"All right, then." she crossed her arms. "If you really want to know, that's the Doctor." She replied nodding to the image on the screen.

At the sound of his name, all four Daleks immediately backed away from her.

_'__They claim to have no emotions yet they can still feel fear'_ she thought in amusement. "Five million Cybermen…easy. One Doctor?" she took a step forward to look the head Dalek directly in its eye stalk. "Now you're scared." She taunted as it backed away once more.

**-oOo-**

The Daleks' attack had definitely put a kink in the Cybermen's plans for world domination, as they now seemed to be re-strategizing their next moves. The Doctor mused on how two races of aliens who wanted nothing to do with emotions; purging themselves of any type of feelings whatsoever, could have such overblown egos.

_"Quarantine the Sphere chamber. Start emergency upgrading. Begin with these personnel." _The Cyberleader ordered turning towards the small group of humans in the room.

Jackie's eyes widened as the Cyber Units stepped forward to take them into custody. She glanced over at Yvonne who wore a mask of terror on her face and was looking to The Doctor for help, but he could provide none. So many things were running through his mind, but not one of them was of any help in getting them out of the current situation.

"No, you can't do this!" Yvonne cried out, struggling to escape their grasp as they dragged her from the room. "We surrendered! We surrendered!"

_"This one." _The Cyberleader pointed towards The Doctor._ "His increased adrenaline suggests that he has vital Dalek information."_

The Doctor was immediately released and they grabbed Jackie instead. "Stop!" she screamed. "I don't want to go!"

"I demand you leave that woman alone!" The Doctor shouted as the Cybermen restrained him. "I won't help you if you hurt her. Jackie," he said pleadingly. "Don't fight. I'll think of something."

"Save Rose!" she pleaded, eyes wide with fear as they met his. "Jus' promise me you'll save Rose."

"I Promise!" he yelled as he they pulled her out of the room. "I promise." He said again, shoving his hands into his pockets and hanging his head.

**-oOo-**

The Doctor sat staring out the window overlooking Canary Wharf and feeling so utterly helpless. Rose was being held captive by the Daleks and in order to get to her, he would have to bypass multiple units of Cybermen stationed in the hallways and Jackie was quite possibly at the moment being cybernized. He shuddered at the thought and ran a hand over his face. He had failed Rose again; failed her and Jackie both. He had brought them here. Even though he knew something bad was coming. Even after the continuous nightmares he had been having for weeks in regards to the vision he saw, and yet he brought them to this place anyway. Now here he sat, powerless, wishing he had just left them both in the TARDIS. That he had told Yvonne and the rest of her crew that he dropped Rose at her mother's before he got there. It wasn't like she would have been able to get into the TARDIS and see for herself. But no, he chose to do what he always did, he jumped in feet first, hoping the landing would be okay and doomed them all. The sound of heavy footsteps pulled him out of his self-deprecating thoughts.

_"You are proof." _

He sighed and turned away from the window to look at the Cyberleader. "Of what?"

_"That emotions destroy you." _

"Yeah, I am." Looking out into the lever room, The Doctor noticed a slight rippling to the air as shadowy figures began to form. "Mind you, I quite like hope. Hope's a good emotion. And here it comes." The shadowy figures quickly solidified into a group of soldiers with weapons trained on the Cybermen that had remained in the room. As they opened fire, The Doctor jumped up from the window ledge and ducked behind a chair just in time to see the Cyberleader's head explode. Standing up, he brushed off his suit and walked out of the office to greet the newcomers.

The man who had the honor of divesting the Cyberleader's head from its body stepped forward and removed his mask, running a hand through his spiky blonde hair. "Doctor?" he grinned. "Good to see you again."

The Doctor stared at the young man for a moment in disbelief. "Jake?"

"The Cybermen came through from one world to another, and so did we." Turning to the other members of his team, Jake began shouting out instructions. "Defend this room. You kill one CyberLeader and they just download into another. Now move!"

As the soldiers spread throughout the room, Jake looked over to see The Time Lord studying him closely.

"You can't just, just, just hop from one world to another." The Doctor said incredulously. "You can't."

"We just did. With these." Jake replied, tossing him a large yellow disc on a chain.

The Doctor turned it over in his hands studying it closely. "But that's impossible. You can't have this sort of technology."

The blonde snorted. "We've got our own version of Torchwood. They developed it. Do you want to come and see?" he reached down and pulled another disc from under his shirt.

"No!" The Doctor shouted when he realized what Jake was doing, but then suddenly he was reappearing in an exact replica of the same lab, only this one looked like it had been through an earthquake and the lighting was extremely dim; giving off a more grayish tone as opposed to the bright whiteness of the previous one.

"Parallel Earth, parallel Torchwood." Jake explained as The Doctor took in his surroundings. "Except we found out what the Institute was doing and the People's Republic took control."

"I've got to get back." The Doctor began raising his voice. "Rose is in danger, and her mother."

"That'd be Jackie." A voice stated from the doorway. "My wife in a parallel universe." The two men turned to see Pete Tyler enter the room. "And as for you, Doctor, at least this time I know who you are."

The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Right, yes, fine, hooray!" he replied. "But I've got to get back, right now."

"No, you're not in charge here." Pete replied sternly. "This is our world, not yours. And you're going to listen for once."

**-oOo-**

Rose stroked her stomach absentmindedly. The Daleks, having concluded the Cybermen were no real threat decided to focus all their energies on the Genesis Ark. They each took a side extending and attaching their sucker arms onto the metal structure.

"Why are we being kept alive?" Mickey asked quietly.

"They might need me." she said, remaining focused on what the Daleks were doing.

"For What?"

"I don't know yet." she sighed.

Mickey began digging through his pockets to see if he had anything on him that could help them out of their current situation.

"What's that?" Rose asked as he pulled a flat yellow disc from his pocket.

"This here is a nifty little teleporting device our Torchwood came up with." He explained, holding it up. "I could transport out of here, but it only carries one and I'm not leaving you."

She smiled softly. "After everythin' that I've put you through, and you still want to stand by my side?"

"Look," he said taking her hands in his. "Maybe things didn't work out the way I always planned for us, but I've moved past it. I knew when you met him that I had lost you." He smiled sadly. "It was love at first sight."

"Mickey, M' so-"

He held his hand up, abruptly silencing her. "I know you think I left because of you. You've probably been blamin' yourself as well, but that's not why I stayed there. I needed to find myself, to make my own way. Travelin' with you and The Doctor, it opened my eyes. It made me understand why you love this life like you do, and I wanted a piece of that for myself. This last couple of years in the parallel world, workin' for Torchwood, I've had time to grow up and I'm really proud of the work I've been doin'. Standin' up, doin' what's right, defending the Earth." He grinned.

"M' so proud of you Mick." Rose said softly. "You really have grown up so much."

"So have you." He looked down and rubbed her tummy gently. "And you're happy?" he questioned, looking into her eyes.

"Yeah." She gave him a watery smile and he pulled her into a hug.

"Then that's all that I care about." He said gently. "Now, let's see if we can't find a way out of here."

Pulling back, she nodded and wiped her eyes. "And find out what's in that thing." She said glancing over at the Ark.

"Well, what I don't understand is what the Daleks need with me. I'm nothin' to them."

"You could be. Whatever's inside that Ark is waking up, and I've seen this happen before. First time I saw a Dalek, it was broken. It was dyin'. But I touched it. The moment I did that, I brought it back to life." She shuddered at the memory, still feeling responsible for all the deaths that occurred when she set it free. "As the Doctor said, when you travel in time in the TARDIS, you soak up all this background radiation. It's harmless. S' jus' there. But in the Time War, the Daleks evolved so they could use it as a power supply."

"I love it when you talk technical."

"Shut up." She playfully punched him in the arm. "If the Daleks have got somethin' inside that thing, and it needs waking up..."

"They need you." Mickey finished for her.

"Well, you've travelled in time too." She pointed out. "Either one of us would do I suppose."

"But why would they build something they can't open themselves?"

**"THE TECHNOLOGY IS STOLEN. THE ARK IS NOT OF DALEK DESIGN." **The head Dalek replied in response to Mickey's question.

"Then who built it?" Rose asked.

**"THE TIME LORDS. THIS IS ALL THAT SURVIVES OF THEIR HOME WORLD." **

"And what's that then?" she pressed. "What's inside?"

**"THE FUTURE**."

**-oOo-**

The Doctor was frustrated. He needed to get back to Rose as soon as possible, but Pete remained unaffected, and demanded an audience with him before he would allow him to cross back over. So here he stood, arms crossed; back against the god forsaken white wall that his nightmares had led him to despise, trying to listen to what the Director had to say in attempts to hurry the conversation along.

"When you left this world, you warned us there'd be more Cybermen." Pete told him. "So we sealed them inside the factories."

"Except people argued." Jake added. "Said they were living. We should help them."

"And the debate went on." Pete continued. "But all that time, the Cybermen made plans. Infiltrated this version of Torchwood, mapped themselves onto your world, and then vanished."

The Doctor furrowed his brows. "When was this?"

"Three years ago."

Pushing off the wall, he jammed his hands in his pockets and began to walk the room with Pete falling into step beside him. "It's taken them three years to cross the void, but we can pop to and fro in a second. Must be the sheer mass of five million Cybermen crossing all at once."

"Yeah," Pete laughed. "Mickey said you'd rattle off that sort of stuff."

"Oh, where is the Mickey boy?" The Doctor asked as he looked around.

"He went ahead first. Any chance to go and find Miss Rose Tyler."

"She's your daughter." The Doctor said turning his head to look at the Director. "You do know that? Did Mickey explain?"

"She's not mine. She's the child of a dead man." Pete said, brushing off the subject. "Look at it," he gestured out the window they had stopped in front of. "A world of peace. They're calling this The Golden Age."

The Doctor watched the zeppelins as they floated through the sky. "Who's the President now?"

"A woman called Harriet Jones."

"Oof," The Time Lord muttered. "I'd keep an eye on her."

"But it's a lie." Pete sighed as he stared down over Canary Wharf. "Temperatures have risen by two degrees in the past six months. The ice caps are melting. They're saying all this is going to be flooded. That's not just global warming, is it?"

"No."

"It's the breach." Pete nodded in understanding.

The whole situation seemed to be unravelling faster and faster and The Doctor was starting to feel suffocated. So at that moment, he decided to handle it in the same way he handled everything else that he couldn't control. With anger. "I've been trying to tell you. Travel between parallel worlds is impossible. Then the Daleks break down the walls with a Sphere." He said, throwing his hands up to emphasize his point.

"Daleks?" Pete interjected in confusion.

The Doctor ignored the man's inquiry as he continued his rant. "Then the Cybermen traveled across, then you lot. Those discs," He walked over to Jake and lifted up the big yellow button around his neck. "Every time you jump from one reality to another, you rip a hole in the universe." He scolded. "This planet is starting to boil. Keep going and both worlds will fall into the Void."

"But you can stop it?" Pete asked. "The famous Doctor. You can seal the breach?"

"Leaving five million Cybermen stranded on my Earth."

"That's your problem." The Torchwood Director replied. "I'm protecting this world and this world only."

"Pete Tyler." The Doctor chuckled as he lost himself in the memory of when he took Rose back to see her real father before he passed. "I knew you when you were dead. Now here you are, fighting the fight alone." He paused for a moment before looking the man in the eyes. "There is a chance, back on my world; Jackie Tyler might still be alive."

"My wife died." Pete said firmly.

"Her husband died." The Doctor countered. "Good match."

"There's more important things at stake. Doctor, help us."

"What, close the breach? Stop the Cybermen? Defeat the Daleks?" he paused. "Do you believe I can do that?"

Pete looked at him for half a second and then smiled. "Yes." He replied sincerely.

"Maybe that's all I need." The Doctor grinned back at him. "Off we go, then!"

Jake handed The Doctor back the disc he had used to teleport over, while Pete pulled another from his pocket. Once they all confirmed they were ready, Jake pressed the button, sending them back to the lever room in the original universe.

"First things first, I need to make a phone call." The Doctor said, pocketing the disc. "Don't mind me." he waved to the two guards standing near Yvonne's office as he rushed by them.

Jake shook his head and laughed. "You two," he called out to get the men's attention. "Guard the door." The men nodded, readying their weapons as they headed towards the door.

Closing his eyes for a second, The Doctor let out a deep breath and hoped that for once the universe would be kind. The call had barely made it through the first ring when she answered. "Oh thank God it's you. I need help"

"Jackie, you're alive?" he said half relieved, half surprised.

"Oi! Don't sound so disappointed."

"I'm not…I wasn't…" he sighed. "Just listen and tell me where you are."

"I don't know. Staircase."

The Doctor rubbed his temple. "Yeah, which one? Is there any sort of sign? Anything to identify it?"

"Yes, a fire extinguisher."

"Yeah, that helps." he replied, thankful she couldn't see him rolling his eyes.

"Oh, wait a minute. It says N3."

"North corner, staircase three." he confirmed. "Just keep low, we'll get there as soon as we can." hanging up the phone, he turned back to Pete. "Jacqueline Andrea Suzette Tyler."

"She's not my wife." Pete protested.

"I was at the wedding." The Doctor said with a smirk. "You got her name wrong." Bounding out the door of the office he pulled the large gun from Jake's hands and began examining it. "Now then, Jakey boy, if I can open up the bonding chamber on this thing, it'll work on polycarbite."

"What's polycarbite?" Jake asked.

"Skin of a Dalek." The Doctor replied in a bitter tone. He quickly made a few adjustments to the gun with his sonic before tossing it back to Jake. "That should do it."

"Doctor, my team isn't even familiar with these…Daleks." Pete said. "We came here to deal with the Cybermen problem, and that's what we're going to do."

"I don't have time to argue about this. Rose is in danger. Rescuing her is the first priority, and then we'll deal with the Cybermen."

"And I told you Doctor, I'm in charge of this mission not you."

The Doctor's eyes darkened menacingly as he spoke through gritted teeth. "You don't want to acknowledge Rose fine, but this is my universe, and here, she is the only thing that matters to me. Come with me or don't, but I'm going after Rose."

**-oOo-**

Rose watched as the Daleks began to disconnect themselves from the Ark. They had been stationary for so long, she had joked to Mickey that maybe they had gone into hibernation. They had spent most of their time trying to figure a way out of the room, but had yet to come up with a solid plan. She had no idea how many Cybermen could be waiting on the opposite side of the door, although after all that trash talk it was more likely they were staying away until they could figure out a strategy. Still, they had nothing in the room that would even remotely have effect on the Daleks and other than temporarily blinding them; she still had no way of getting through the door without the access codes. Now as the Daleks had finished what she decided must have been some sort of charging cycle, they began to advance on her once more.

**"FINAL STAGE OF AWAKENING. YOUR HANDPRINT WILL OPEN THE ARK." **

"Well tough, because I'm not doing it." She snapped, crossing her arms.

**"OBEY OR THE MALE WILL DIE." **The head Dalek turned its gun toward Mickey.

"Rose, don't." Mickey said quietly.

Rose dropped her arms in defeat. "M' not gonna let them hurt you." She told him.

**"PLACE YOUR HAND UPON THE CASKET." **

"All right!" she shouted. As she stepped towards the Ark she paused. The time spent with The Doctor had given a boost to her confidence and she was going to use it. She was going to bring out her inner Doctor. "You're goin' to kill us anyway, so what the hell." Her demeanor quickly shifted to calm, cool and collected. "If you um, escaped the Time War, don't you want to know what happened?" she asked sweetly.

**"PLACE YOUR HAND…" **

"What happened to the Emperor?" Rose clarified in a sing-song voice.

**"THE EMPEROR SURVIVED?" **

"Till he met me." she stared directly into the eye stalk of the head Dalek once more. "Because if these are going to be my last words, then you're goin' to listen." she said angrily. "I met the Emperor, and I took the Time Vortex and I poured it into his head and turned him into dust. Do you get that? The God of all Daleks, and I destroyed him. Ha!" she laughed.

**"YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!"**

"Oh now, hold on, wait a minute."

Rose and Mickey turned to see the Doctor standing in the doorway wearing his 3-D glasses and a giant grin.

**"ALERT, ALERT. YOU ARE THE DOCTOR." **

**"SENSORS REPORT HE IS UNARMED. HOWEVER HIS HEART RATES HAVE INCREASED WHEN WITHIN PROXIMITY OF THE FEMALE." **

"Yeah, she tends to have that effect on me." he replied, eyeing Rose up and down and making her blush fiercely in the process.

**"THOSE EMOTIONS MAKE YOU POWERLESS." **

"Nah, not me." he disagreed as he turned to Rose. "How are you?"

At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to grab him and snog him senseless, but instead she settled for "M' good, you?"

"Oh, the usual." he sidled up next to her and leaned in, speaking out the side of his mouth. "Thought I told you to stay put."

"Right," she lowered her voice to match his. "Like M' jus' gonna sit back while you and mum get arrested and do nothin'." She looked past him towards the doorway. "Where is mum?"

"Oh, she's exploring the stairwells, she's fine." he waved off the question. "And anyways, I had everything perfectly under control. Would it be so hard for you to just listen to me once and a while?"

"Oh, so now M' jus' supposed to play the obedient little sidekick and do as M' told while you're off in danger somewhere?"

"Those were Torchwood's words. I don't consider you a sidekick, and for the last time I…" he ran a hand through his hair. "Look, let's not do this now."

"Fine." she said irritably crossing her arms and turning away.

"Fine." he repeated.

After a few seconds she slightly turned her head towards him. "We are so havin' an angry shag later."

"Quite right." he replied huskily.

"Um, you guys are aware that I'm still in the room, right?" Mickey asked as he looked back and forth between the pair.

"Mickey," The Doctor chirped. "Mickity-Mick, Mickey. Nice to see you!"

"And you, boss." Mickey responded with a fist bump.

**"SOCIAL INTERACTION WILL CEASE!" **The head Dalek demanded as it rolled towards The Doctor. **"HOW DID YOU SURVIVE THE TIME WAR?" **

"By fighting. On the front line." The Doctor shot back. "I was there at the fall of Arcadia. Someday I might even come to terms with that." he frowned, but it quickly shifted back into something of a taunting smile. "But you lot ran away!" he said with a sweeping look at each Dalek.

**"WE HAD TO SURVIVE." **

"The last four Daleks in existence. So what's so special about you?"

"Doctor, they've got names." Rose informed him. "I mean, Daleks don't have names, do they?"

**"I AM DALEK THAY."** One of them stated abruptly, before the rest followed in turn.

**"DALEK SEK." **

**"DALEK JAST." **

**"DALEK CAAN."**

"So that's it!" The Doctor announced in recognition. "At last, The Cult of Skaro. I thought you were just a legend."

"Who are they?" Rose asked.

"A secret order above and beyond the Emperor himself." he explained. "Their job was to imagine, think as the enemy thinks. Even dared to have names. All to find new ways of killing.

"But that thing," Mickey pointed to the large metallic structure in the center of the room. "They said it was yours. I mean, Time Lords. They built it. What does it do?"

"I dunno." he shook his head. "Never seen it before."

"But S' Time Lord." Rose pointed out.

"Both sides had secrets." he moved closer to Dalek Sek. "What is it?" he demanded. "What have you done?"

**"TIME LORD SCIENCE WILL RESTORE DALEK SUPREMACY." **

"What does that mean?" he shook his head angrily. "What sort of Time Lord Science? What do you mean?"

Rose slipped her hand into his and gave it a light squeeze. "They said one touch from a time traveler will wake it up."

"Technology using the one thing a Dalek can't do. Touch." he looked at Rose and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. Turning back to Dalek Sek, he leaned down and stared directly into its eye stalk. "Sealed inside your casing. Not feeling anything ever, from birth to death, locked inside a cold metal cage. Completely alone. That explains your voice. No wonder you scream." he spat.

**"THE DOCTOR WILL OPEN THE ARK!"**

A laugh quickly bubbled up from his throat at the preposterous notion that he would comply with anything they said. "The Doctor will not." he replied once his amusement subsided.

**"YOU HAVE NO WAY OF RESISTING." **

"Weell, you got me there. Although," he reached into his pocket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "There is always this." he said holding it up.

**"A SONIC PROBE?" **

"That's screwdriver." He corrected.

**"IT IS HARMLESS."**

"Oh, yes." he said tossing it back and forth between his hands. "Harmless is just the word. That's why I like it. Doesn't kill, doesn't wound, doesn't maim. But I'll tell you what it does do." he held it up once more. "It is very good at opening doors."

With a quick press of the button, the familiar buzzing sound filled the air followed by a loud explosion as the side door to the lab was blown in. Before the smoke had even cleared, Jake burst through the opening followed by a group of Cybermen yelling _"Delete! Delete! Delete! Delete!" _as they began firing upon the Daleks.

**"ALERT. CASING IMPAIRED. CASING IMPAIRED." **

The Doctor ducked down to avoid the Daleks laser beams. "Get Rose out!" he shouted at Pete who had just come through the door.

"Dad?" Rose whispered in surprise as Pete appeared at her side. He opened his mouth to say something, but then quickly closed it again, pulling her up from the floor.

**"FIRE POWER INSUFFICIENT! FIRE POWER INSUFFICIENT!" **

Once he was sure that Rose was out of the line of fire, The Doctor made a run for the door, ducking the exchange of laser beams. When he reached Pete and Rose, she pulled him into a hug.

"How did you get the Cybermen to agree to help with the Daleks" she asked, in astonishment.

"Oh, I'm very good." He wagged his eyebrows and pulled her in for a kiss.

A laser beam struck the doorway next to where they were standing, breaking them apart. He quickly pulled her further back into the hallway as he grabbed his sonic screwdriver and set to work on figuring out how to seal the door. "I'm going to try to seal them in." The Doctor called out to Pete. "Get your men out of there."

Pete turned back towards the door. "Jake, tell the team to fall back! Mickey, you too!" he hollered over the blasts.

Jake fired off a few more shots as he and his team backed towards the doorway, but Mickey was still caught in the crosshairs of the heated battle.

"Mickey, come on!" Rose shouted watching him narrowly miss one of the Dalek's kill shots as he dove for his gun.

_"Daleks will be deleted. Delete. Delete." _

**"ADAPT TO WEAPONRY. FIRE POWER RESTORED! CYBERMEN PRIMARY TARGET."**

Mickey fired off a shot at one of the Daleks, temporarily disabling its weapon systems, but as he backed away he failed to see the Cyberman that had just taken a significant hit causing it to malfunction and flail about wildly. As Mickey turned it swung at him, knocking him headfirst into the Genesis Ark. He put out his hand in order to break his fall and as it came into contact with the Ark, there was a low hissing sound. Pulling back quickly, he watched as the image of the handprint he left slowly faded away. The sound of voices calling his name sent him back into action and wincing at the slight stinging sensation in his hand, he grabbed his gun and sprinted from the room just as the door started closing.

The Doctor aimed his sonic at the lock mechanism; shorting out the circuit. "Jake, take your team and check the stairwell. The rest of you are with me."

Jake gave a quick nod, motioning to the rest of his team and headed down the opposite end of the hallway.

"I just fell," Mickey said, cradling his hand. "I didn't mean it!"

"Mickey, without us, they'd have opened it by force. To do that, they'd have blown up the sun." The Doctor put his hands on either side of the young man's face and pulled him forward to kiss the top of his head. "You've done us a favor. Now, run!" Grabbing Rose's hand, they quickly made their way down the corridor, only to stop again upon hearing a frightened woman's voice pleading for her life.

"That's mum." Rose gasped.

Rounding the corner they saw Jackie holding her hands up in defense as two Cybermen advanced on her.

_"You will be upgraded." _

"No, but you can't. Please." Jackie whimpered putting her hands over her eyes.

Without another thought, Pete took Mickey's gun from him and fired upon the Cybermen, incinerating them both. As the smoke cleared, Jackie slowly opened her eyes and stared at her savior in disbelief.

"Pete?"

"Hello, Jacks." He replied with a timid smile.

Her face fell as she stared at him. "I said there were ghosts, but that's not fair. Why him?"

Pete's brows furrowed in confusion. "I'm not a ghost".

"But you're dead." She argued. "You died twenty years ago, Pete."

"It's Pete from a different universe." The Doctor explained as he stepped forward. "There are parallel worlds, Jackie. Every single decision we make creates a parallel existence, a different dimension where…"

"Oh, you can shut up." She replied brusquely. His mouth snapped shut as Rose gently tugged him back to stand next to her. Jackie turned her attention back to her parallel husband. "Oh, you look old."

Pete had to smile again at her bluntness, realizing just how much he missed it. "You don't."

"How can you be standin' there?"

He shrugged. "I just got lucky. Lived my life. You were left on your own. You didn't marry again, or…?" he trailed off, not really sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"There was never anyone else."

The Doctor snorted as he and Mickey shared a look and Rose elbowed him lightly, placing her finger to her lips in a shushing motion.

"Twenty years, though." Jackie continued. "Look at me. I never left that flat. Did nothin' with myself."

"You brought her up." He said, motioning towards her daughter. "Rose Tyler. That's not bad."

Mickey gave Rose a soft smile and The Doctor pulled her into his arms, placing a kiss against her temple. He wasn't her real father, but to Rose it really didn't matter. Even though she didn't know this version of Pete, to her he was still her dad and she loved him. As she watched her parents from the warm embrace of The Doctor's arms, she wrung her hands nervously. Her mother had been alone for so long and had never loved anyone like she had loved her father. Maybe this was the universe's way of giving them both a second chance, and she hoped they would take it. Because while yes, it seems that she is a sucker for a good love story, but she also wanted to believe that sometimes happy endings are possible.

"Yeah." Jackie agreed giving her daughter a loving smile.

"In my world, it worked. All those daft little plans of mine, they worked. Made me rich."

Jackie shook her head. "I don't care about that." She paused in thought for a moment, curiosity getting the better of her. "How rich?"

"Very."

"I don't care about that. How very?"

Pete laughed for a moment, but then his face turned serious again. "Thing is though, Jacks, you're not my wife. I'm sorry, but you're not." He watched her as she silently nodded in agreement, her face falling slightly. I mean, we both…You know, it's just sort of…" he shook his head in defeat, knowing that he was kidding himself with the words coming out of his mouth and he could care less what world she was from because she was his Jackie. "Oh, come here." he said throwing the gun to the floor.

Jackie finally let her tears fall as they ran towards one another and within seconds he had swept her up into his arms.

Rose barely got to see much of the reunion between her parents because the moment her mother and father embraced she found herself being pulled into a very passionate kiss by The Doctor. She quickly reciprocated, finally pulling back only when she needed air.

"What was that for?" she asked; slightly dazed.

He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and looked into her eyes. "Because I…"

An explosion from one of the lower floors shook the building violently. Rose clutched onto The Doctor tightly in an attempt to stay upright as they heard shouting coming from behind them.

"They've breached the warehouse." Jake panted as he and his team rounded the corner. "There's too many, and I don't think we have enough firepower to stop them."

"I have an idea." The Doctor said, stepping forward. "But I'm going to need something from the warehouse.

Jake blew out a breath and nodded. "Okay, we'll cover you as best we can, but it's complete chaos down there."

As quietly as possible, the group followed Jake's team down to the lower levels, bypassing the elevator in favor of the more inconspicuous stairwell.

"You lot wait here." The Doctor told them in a hushed tone. "I'll just be a minute."

He slowly opened the door leading to the warehouse and poked his head through. The room was a complete warzone. The remaining Torchwood soldiers were attempting to stave off the bulk of the Cybermen while the Daleks laid siege to everything in their path, with the cries of **"EXTERMINATE!"** filling the air.

Dodging the laser fire that seemed to be coming from all directions, he quickly made his way over to the crate he had been perusing earlier and pulled out two magnaclamps.

Rose opened the warehouse door as soon as she saw him running back. "Come on," she said, waving her arm frantically.

As he ran past her, the warehouse began to shudder. Slipping on his 3-D glasses, he poked his head back through the door, Rose following suit just slightly above him.

**"OVERRIDE ROOF MECHANISM."** Dalek Sek commanded.** "ELEVATE."**

They watched as the roof began to slide open and Dalek Sek began to levitate upwards, bringing the Genesis Ark along with it.

"What're they doing?" Rose asked. "Why do they need to get outside?"

"Time Lord science." The Doctor muttered to himself. "What Time Lord science? What is it?"

"If we're going to find out what it's doing, we need to go back up to the lever room." Pete said.

"No!" The Doctor snapped. "We're going back to the TARDIS." he grabbed Rose's hand and started pulling her towards the stairwell. "Now."

"Hold on Doctor." Pete called. Looking down at Jackie's hand in his own, he turned to Jake. "Protocol 17."

Jake nodded in affirmation before reaching out and shaking his boss's hand. He then turned to Mickey who also gave a small nod. The blonde man's expression became slightly sullen as the two men embraced. They clapped each other on the back before pulling away, and with a final fist bump he motioned to his team and headed out the door.

"What was that about?" Rose asked when Mickey caught up to them.

Mickey shook his head. "Just tyin' up some last minute details."

**-oOo-**

They located the TARDIS in a storage room on the second floor, and once Pete had gotten over the initial bigger on the inside shock, The Doctor got down to business.

"I can close the breach."

"How?" Pete asked.

"Oh, I've got all the equipment I need in this building. Courtesy of Torchwood. Slam it down and close off both universes."

"But what about the Daleks and the Cybermen?" Rose asked.

"They're part of the problem, and that makes them part of the solution." he grinned. "Now, isn't anyone going to ask about my glasses?" he said pointing to the 3-D frames adorning his face.

"What is it with the glasses?" Rose gave in, playing along.

"We've got two separate worlds, but in between the two separate worlds, we've got the Void. That's where the Daleks were hiding. And the Cybermen travelled through the Void to get here. And you lot, one world to another, via the Void." he paused and chuckled to himself. "Oh, I like that. Via the Void." Taking off the 3-D glasses, he handed them to Rose. "Look." he said as she slipped them on. "I've been through it. Do you see?"

As she adjusted the frames on her face, she could see a large group of particles surrounding the Doctor. He slowly began to sway back and forth and she watched as the particles followed his movement. "What is it?" she asked reaching towards the curious molecules, but not coming into contact with anything.

"Void stuff."

"Like um, background radiation." she guessed.

"That's it." he leaned forward and kissed her nose before spinning her around to face the rest of the group. "Look at the others." she could see the same particles floating around everyone else as well, except her mother. "And the only one who hasn't been through the Void," he added as if reading her thoughts. "Your mother. First time she's looked normal in her life.

"Oi." Jackie replied defensively.

"But the Daleks lived inside the Void." The Doctor continued. "They're bristling with it. Cybermen, all of them. I just open the Void and reverse. The Void stuff gets sucked back inside."

"Pullin' them all in!" Rose chimed in excitedly.

"Pulling them all in!" he replied, pulling her flush against him to emphasize his point.

Mickey, who was sitting over on the jumpseat watching the monitor looked up in confusion. "Sorry, what's the Void?"

"The dead space. Some people call it Hell."

"So you're sending the Daleks and Cybermen to Hell?" he looked over at Pete. "Man, I told you he was good."

"But S' like you said. We've all got Void stuff. Me too, 'cause we went to that parallel world." Rose looked down at the particles surrounding her hand once more before finally removing the 3-D glasses. "We're all contaminated. We'll get pulled in."

He took the glasses from her and pulled her into his arms. "That's why you're staying here." He replied firmly. "The TARDIS is protected."

"And then you close it, for good?" Pete inquired.

The Doctor looked back at him. "The breach itself is soaked in Void stuff. In the end it'll close itself. And that's it. Kaput."

"You're gonna go up there and open the void?" Rose asked quietly, bringing his attention back to her.

"But you'll get pulled in." Mickey added.

The Doctor held Rose's gaze for a moment longer before letting her go and walking over to the items sitting by the door. "That's why I got these." He held up a pair of magnaclamps. "I'll just have to hold on tight. I've been doing it all my life." He chuckled, giving Rose a wink.

"So M' jus' supposed to stay here in the TARDIS while you go up there on your own?" Rose murmured.

"Yeah." He said simply.

She snorted softly. "Yeah, that's not goin' to happen."

"Rose, I'm not going to argue with you on this. You are staying here with your mother and that's final."

"No!" she shouted. "We are in this together and M' not leavin' you to do this on your own."

"Rose, sweetheart." Jackie said softly. "The Doctor's right. In your condition, you shouldn't be out in the middle of all this."

"Mum, M' fine, and he is constantly puttin' himself in danger for all of us. He can't do this all alone. What if somethin' goes wrong."

"You can't go." The Doctor said firmly as he grasped her shoulders; his face inches from hers.

"Why not? Give me one good reason why I can't..."

"Because I'll lose you!" he screamed and Rose flinched at his outburst. He took a couple of deep breaths in order to calm himself and looked her in the eyes. "She showed me." he said, gesturing to her stomach. "Our daughter showed me a vision on the space station. If you go into that room, I will lose you."

Rose was taken aback at the revelation as well as the pain in his voice. The only other time she had heard him sound so broken was when he talked about the time war. They stared at one another for the longest moment, no one else in the room daring to make a sound and although the tension thickly remained in the air, the awkwardness was cut short by the TARDIS shuddering lightly.

"What was that?" Pete asked.

"I dunno." The Doctor replied. "She seems to be uneasy about something."

The sound of knocking had them all turning their heads towards the door in surprise.

"Candygram for Mongo." called a muffled voice from outside.

Mickey took a look at the monitor and grinned brightly before hopping up from the jumpseat. "I got this." he said as he headed down the ramp towards the door. Opening it slightly, he poked his head out while the rest of the group listened to the exchange.

"Who the hell are you?" Mickey asked in an annoyed tone.

"What do you mean, who the hell am I? Who the hell are you?" a man's voice replied.

"Name's Mickey Smith, and whatever you're selling, we're not buyin'."

"Just my luck. The sky is full of Daleks, We fight our way through a couple hundred Cybermen just to reach the TARDIS, and who do we find? Mickey Mouse."

"You can talk, Captain Cheesecake."

The door swung open, and in stepped Captain Jack Harkness decked out in combat gear. Behind him were two men, and two women also dressed in the same gear and carrying weapons. Jack and Mickey quickly burst into laughter and pulled one another into a hug.

"That's Beefcake Mister." Jack replied, voice laced with innuendo.

"And that's enough hugging." Mickey responded pulling out of his embrace.

Mickey had just stepped back when The Doctor lunged at The Captain, shoving him into the wall.

"Doctor!" Rose screamed.

"Did you know about this?!" he shouted through gritted teeth, pulling Jack towards him and then slamming him against the wall again. "Did you?!"

The members of Jack's team began to advance on The Doctor in attempts to lend aid to their leader, but he held his hand out to them and shook his head.

Returning his gaze to The Doctor, he spoke calmly. "I didn't know Doc, I swear. When we found out what was happening my team and I came straight here looking for you." he paused and looked deep into The Doctor's eyes in attempts to prove his sincerity. "You know how much I love you and Rosie. I would never do anything to hurt the two of you."

The Doctor's anger began to drain away as he looked at his friend. He knew in his hearts the man wasn't responsible but at the moment he was so angry with anyone and anything having to do with this universe's Torchwood that he couldn't see straight. "I know." he replied shakily as he loosened his grip on Jack's shirt. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just…" he trailed off when he felt a pair of hands over his own and looked down to see Rose staring up at him. Releasing his grip on Jack, he fell into her arms and buried his face in her neck. "I'm sorry," he whimpered. "I just don't want to lose you."

"You won't." she soothed him, rubbing circles on his back. "I promised you forever, yeah? M' not goin' anywhere."

"Then you have to stay here." he said, pulling back to look her in the eyes. "Please Rose, the TARDIS can protect you, but you have to stay here."

"But you can't go up there all on your own." she protested.

"He won't have to." Mickey spoke up as he walked towards the pair. "I'll go with him." He smiled. "Gotta defend my home now don't I?"

"Your home?" Rose asked, slightly hopeful. "Does that mean you're stayin'?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "I had a good time in that parallel world, but my Gran passed away. Nice and peaceful. There's nothin' left for me there now."

"Oh, Mickey." Rose said, letting go of The Doctor to pull her friend into a hug. "M' so sorry about your Gran, and I know you've built a life there, but M' so happy you're stayin' here. I missed you so much."

"I missed you too babe." He said pulling back from the hug.

The Doctor gave him a warm smile and placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. "It's good to have you back." He said sincerely.

Pete cleared his throat. "Doctor, I'm staying too." He turned to his parallel wife, taking her hands in his. "That is if you'll have me Jack's."

"You'd really leave your glamorous life behind for me?" She asked. "All that fame and fortune?"

"Well, yeah."

Jackie smiled, eyes brimming with tears, and then buried her head into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

"How will that work though?" Mickey asked. "You know, with him bein' dead in this universe and all?"

"We'll figure out something." The Doctor assured them.

"I think I may be able to help with that." Jack piped up. "But after we deal with the War of the Worlds out there." He turned to the four people standing behind him. "Guys, I'd like you to meet my team." He pointed to the woman closest to him. "This is Gwen Cooper."

"Hello." She waved.

Rose took in the woman's long dark hair and warm brown eyes, focusing on her facial symmetry which gave her a sense of familiarity. "Have we met before?" she asked the woman.

Gwen shook her head. "I don't think so."

The Doctor stared at her curiously as well. "Gwen, do you happen to come from an old Cardiff family?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "All the way back to the eighteen hundred's actually."

"Ah, thought so." The Doctor replied as the recognition clicked into place and he and Rose exchanged a knowing grin in remembrance of the young woman they met during their encounter with the Gelth. "Spatial genetic multiplicity."

Gwen looked confused, but Jack shook his head and continued on in his introductions. "This is our brains of the operation," he said placing a hand on the young Asian woman's shoulder. Miss Toshiko Sato. Aka Tosh."

"Nice to meet you all." She said.

"That there is Doctor Owen Harper." He pointed to the tall lanky guy on his right, who looked almost bored to be there. Owen gave a slight nod, but didn't speak.

"And finally," Jack said. "This is Ianto Jones, my right hand man, and sometimes my left, and maybe even…"

"I think they got it Jack." Gwen interrupted.

"It's good to finally meet you all." Ianto said. "Jack talks about you guys all the time."

Rose watched the way Jack and Ianto interacted and smiled to herself. So Jack had a new boy toy. Oh, she was sooo going to need to sit him down for some 'girl talk'.

"Alright, now that we all know each other, tell us the plan Doc."

"The long and short of it," Mickey interjected, pointing to The Doctor. "He's going to open the Void and send all those things out there to hell. You in?"

Jack grinned. "Just tell us where you want us."

"I need you on the street." The Doctor said. "We can't clear the entire building, but when the Daleks and Cybermen find out what we're up to, I can guarantee they'll divert most of their troops here."

"On it." Jack nodded, motioning for his team to head out. As he reached the door, he paused and looked back over his shoulder. "Good luck Doc." He saluted.

The Doctor shook his head and returned the gesture. "You too Captain." Turning back to the rest of the group, he tried to look upbeat and positive. "The rest of you lot stay put, Mickey and I will handle the messy bits, and should be home in time for tea." He grinned. "There's plenty of things to do around here, I'm sure Rose would be happy to give you a tour, won't you Rose?" He looked over to find her quietly sobbing in the jumpseat. "Oh, Rose." He said softly as he made his way over to her.

"M' sorry," she shook her head. "Damn pregnancy hormones have me cryin' at the drop of a hat now."

He chuckled softly as he wiped away her tears and pulled her to her feet. "You don't have to apologize for that."

"I know," she sniffed. "S' jus…M' scared to lose you too ya know."

"You won't."

"Doctor, I…"

"Shh," He pressed his fingers against her lips. "I will come back to you." He promised, wrapping his arms around her and capturing her lips with his own. He poured all of his emotions into the kiss and she felt it all the way down to her toes. When they broke apart, he reached up, stroking the apple of her cheek with his thumb. "I'll see you later."

She managed a smile as she choked back a sob. "Not if I see you first."

He returned her smile, giving her one last kiss and then turned back to Mickey. "You ready?"

Mickey propped his gun up against his shoulder and grinned. "Lock and load."

**-oOo-**

When the two men reached the lever room, the atmosphere seemed unnaturally calm compared to the chaos going on just outside the building. The Doctor immediately went over to one of the computers to start the 'ghost shift sequence' while Mickey headed into Yvonne's office to get the security codes from her laptop. As he powered it up, he chanced a look out the window.

"Doctor, I think you should see this." Mickey called over his shoulder.

When The Doctor entered the office, he walked over to the window where Mickey was standing. Upon looking out, he could see the Genesis Arc spinning in midair as it continually ejected Daleks into the sky.

"Well, I guess we know what it does now." Mickey observed.

"Time Lord Science." The Doctor murmured. "It's bigger on the inside."

"So the Time Lords put those Daleks in there?" Mickey asked. "What for?"

"It's a prison ship."

"So how many do you think are in there?"

He hesitated, knowing how bleak it would make the situation sound. "Millions."

The Daleks spread out across the sky in a strategic pattern as they began their attack on London, shooting anything within their sites whether it be Cyberman or human, and the Cybermen retaliated in kind.

"That's it." The Doctor said through gritted teeth. "This ends now." As he headed back out into the lever room, the computer voiced a status update.

"SYSTEMS REBOOTED. OPEN ACCESS."

He looked over at Mickey. "How are those computer skills of yours? Still as sharp as ever?"

"You know it." The young man boasted, opening the laptop.

"Good. Once you've got those security codes accessed set all the coordinates to six."

Mickey did as he was told and then quickly bypassed the security systems to pull up the surveillance footage of the building.** "**We've got Cybermen on the way up."

"How many floors down?" The Doctor asked as he continued imputing the calculations.

"Just one."

"LEVERS OPERATIONAL." The computer stated.

"We're good to go." Mickey called out.

"Brilliant." The Doctor chirped, handing Mickey one of the magnaclamps. "Put it against the wall and press the red button to activate it. Once the Void opens, just hold on tight. Shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in Void stuff. You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be Boss" Mickey replied with a fist bump.

The Doctor grinned. "Let's do it!"

As they positioned the levers into place, it became apparent by the gathering group of Daleks at the windows that their plan had been figured out. Both men quickly latched their magnaclamps in place, wrapping their arms around the handles tightly as the 'ghost shift' program activated.

"ONLINE." The computer stated as the white wall at the end of the room began to glow like the sun, pulsating and creating a wind tunnel effect. There was a sound of glass shattering, and they watched as multiple Daleks were pulled through the air from outside the building and swept into the void.

**"EMERGENCY!" **They cried as they flew past.

"The breach is open!" The Doctor called out over the rushing winds. "Into the Void! Ha!"

Through the window a steady stream of Daleks and Cybermen were sent hurtling into the dead space. The two men were grinning at one another like loons until one of the passing Daleks spun wildly as it tried to escape and knocked into the lever on Mickey's side, dislodging it from its position.

"OFFLINE." The computer stated as the winds began to die down.

A wave of terror passed through The Doctor as the events unfolded. This was exactly what he had seen, only this time it was Mickey instead of Rose, and there would be no one there to catch him when he fell.

"We've got to get the lever back into position." Mickey yelled across.

"Mickey, don't." The Doctor called back. "We'll figure out something, but don't let go of the magnaclamp."

Seeing the concern in The Doctor's face, he grinned. On one hand, he was pleased to see The Doctor cared a bit more about his well-being this time around, while on the other, he was surprised that the alien didn't think he'd be better prepared for setbacks. He had worked for Torchwood for over two years now, and he knew how to always have a backup plan.

The Doctor stared at him incredulously. He was grinning. Mickey was grinning. The situation was dire, he could easily be sucked into hell with no means of escape and the idiot was grinning. He had really hoped that affectionate little pet name he had given to the young man back in his leather wearing days was in the past, but at the moment he was really considering reviving it.

"Don't worry Boss." Mickey called back to him. Reaching down to his utility belt, he pulled out a utility rope and held it up. "I came prepared."

The Doctor's mouth dropped open and then slowly morphed into a smile. "Brilliant!" he called back. "Absolutely brilliant!"

Mickey quickly attached the utility rope to the magnaclamp using a double figure-8 fisherman's knot technique and slowly repelled himself backwards until he could reach the lever. Grabbing hold, he planted his feet as firmly as possible to maintain the leverage he needed and began to push it back into position.

"ONLINE AND LOCKED." The computer signaled once the lever was in place.

The wind started to pick up again and Mickey was quickly lifted off his feet. He clung to the rope tightly as his body hovered in midair and glanced over at The Doctor shooting him another grin. "Look at me, I'm superman." he called out, tilting his body slightly to make it look like he was flying sideways. "Doo, doo, dah, doo!" The young man laughed.

The Doctor managed an eye roll, but then burst out laughing along with him.

As the last of the Cybermen and Daleks had passed into the void, the wind once again began to die down and the bright light of the breach crumpled inward like a piece of paper before blinking out of existence.

"SYSTEMS CLOSED." The computer announced.

While Mickey disconnected the utility rope from his belt, The Doctor walked towards the white wall and placed a hand against it, breathing a sigh of relief.

"S' not working." Mickey spoke from behind him.

Turning around he saw the younger man holding one of the yellow discs in his hand. As he approached him, Mickey looked up and met his eyes. "You did it. You closed the breach."

"We did it." The Doctor amended.

After a few seconds, they broke out in laughter and shared a quick hug.

"Where's my celebratory hug?" The two men turned to see a very dirty and disheveled Jack standing in the doorway. "I died twice out there you know." The Captain said, gesturing behind him with his thumb.

Mickey looked over at The Doctor with a raised brow and then made his way over to Jack. "I'll give you a hug; just watch those wandering hands of yours." He said warningly.

Jack laughed as they shared a manly embrace and The Doctor quickly attempted to sneak past them and out into the hall.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jack asked before he could get to the door.

"Hey, I told you if you want that kind of affection, you have to buy me a drink first." The Doctor replied.

"I bought you a drink."

"When?"

"When you, me and Rose went to that bar a few weeks ago."

"That doesn't count." The Doctor said as he walked out into the hall.

"Of course it does." Jack argued. "Why wouldn't it?"

"Because I gave you a hug that night."

"That was a reunion hug." The Captain protested.

"Was not."

"Was too."

Mickey shook his head and chuckled as the sound of the two men bickering carried on down the hall. Taking one last look around the room, he turned and followed them out the door.

**-oOo-**

When they walked back into the TARDIS, Rose immediately launched herself into The Doctor's arms. "I was so worried." She murmured into his chest.

"Everything's okay." He whispered into her hair, trying to convince himself just as much as her.

"So it's done?" Pete asked. "The breach is closed?"

"Kaput." The Doctor replied. "Big thanks to Mr. Mickey over there."

Mickey grinned as he began to fill Jack, Pete, and Jackie in on what happened in the lever room.

Reaching down, Rose entwined her fingers with The Doctor's and pulled him towards the corridor. Once they were discretely hidden within some of the shadows, she pressed him back into the wall, grabbed the lapels of his jacket, and pulled his face down to crush her lips passionately against his. He quickly wound his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him as her hands ran through his hair; tugging lightly. When she broke the kiss, The Doctor's hair was in complete disarray, his eyes were glazed over and he seemed to have forgotten where he was for a moment.

"M' still mad at you ya know." She whispered, looking up at him through her lashes.

He nodded; adam's apple bobbing visibly. Normally he didn't like it when Rose was angry with him but if it meant she was going to keep kissing him like that, he was all right with it. In fact, at that moment, he was tempted to just kick everyone out of the TARDIS for a couple of hours, take her into their bedroom and…"

"Jus' consider that a sneak preview for later, yeah?" Rose said, dragging a finger down his chest before turning away and heading back down the hall to rejoin the group.

He took a few moments to collect himself before following after her. When he entered the console room, she was already deep in conversation. He leaned up against one of the coral struts as he watched her talking animatedly with Jack, Mickey and her parents. If it was at all possible, she seemed even more radiant than normal. He took in every detail, the way her eyes lit up when she laughed, the way she smiled. She looked as though she didn't have a care in the world and part of him wanted to freeze this moment in time forever. He could have lost her today, but for once the universe had been kind and presented him with opportunities to change the events. He smiled, knowing that although the timelines that now lay before him still showed a multitude of possibilities, he felt more at peace about their future, no matter how long it might be.

Jack looked up and caught his eye for a moment before excusing himself. Walking across the room he stood next to The Doctor, mirroring his stance. "Penny for your thoughts."

The Doctor shook his head softly. "I was just thinking." He said as he watched Rose hug her parents. "All these different worlds…finally one gets it right."

Jack smiled. "Speaking of, I had some ideas as to how to get them sorted. If you don't mind a quick trip to Cardiff, that is."

"Oh, I think we can manage that." he said with a grin as he bounded across the room to the console. "Next stop, Cardiff." he announced entering the coordinates. "Allons-y!"

**-oOo-**

The TARDIS materialized itself inside the hub, where Jack's team was waiting to greet them. As they all got reacquainted, Jack asked Gwen to provide Mickey Rose and her parents a short tutorial about the place while he and The Doctor did some "manly" things. Rose gave The Doctor a quizzical look, but he shook his head and told her that it wouldn't take long and they would only be a few minutes. He gave her a quick kiss before turning and heading back inside the TARDIS with Jack on his heels.

True to his word, less than ten minutes later the TARDIS was back. Jack was the first one out the door, closely followed by The Doctor who had his hands stuffed in his pockets and wore a sheepish grin on his face.

"Welcome back to the land of the living Pete Tyler." Jack said as he tossed the man a large manila envelope.

"What's this?" Pete asked, looking at the package curiously.

"That my friend is your new driver's license, birth certificate, passport, credit cards and everything you could possibly need to get on with your life."

The Doctor grinned brightly while Rose and Jackie looked at one another in disbelief.

"I don't understand?" Pete furrowed his brows. "How did you…?"

"I've got a lot of friends in high places." Jack replied. "And when you've lived as long as some of us have," he gave The Doctor a wink. "You make a lot of friends. Oh, by the way, your cover story is that some of those crazy inventions of yours caught Torchwood's attention and that because of the work you were doing for us, we faked your death in order to protect your family."

Pete shook his head in awe. "I don't know how to thank you."

"Well, I can always use more help rebuilding Torchwood One. From what I understand you were extremely good at your job Director, and once we get that place back in order, I would love to have someone running it that I can trust." Jack looked over at Mickey. "That goes for you as well Mickey Mouse. So what do you say?" he looked between the two men. "Want to join my team and save the world?"

Pete glanced over at Mickey and they both nodded with smiles on their faces.

"It would be an honor." Pete said extending his hand.

Jack reached out and shook it with an equally pleased grin on his own face. "I'd say it's settled then. Oh, wait. Almost forgot. Doc?"

The Doctor pulled something from his pocket and tossed it to Pete. Catching it, he held the item up for both him and Jackie to see. He looked at the small gold key in confusion for a moment, and then back at The Doctor.

"It's the key to your new house." The Doctor said softly.

Pete was once again at a loss for words as Jackie burst into tears. The only words he could make out from her as she made her way across the room and pulled him into a bone crushing hug while sobbing were "wonderful", "alien", and "sweet". Once she had managed to calm down, she extracted herself from The Doctor and returned to Pete's side.

"Payments won't be a problem on the salary I can provide." Jack assured them. "I know it won't be anywhere near what you were used to…"

"It was never about the money." Pete interjected as he looked down into Jackie's eyes. "I'm just happy to get this second chance. Thank you both." he said sincerely.

Jack nodded, clapping the man on his shoulder.

"What about Mickey?" Rose asked.

"Jack's giving me a room here till I find a place of my own." Mickey piped up.

"Yeah, what can I say?" Jack said, putting his arm around the younger man's shoulder. "I have a weakness for strays." Mickey rolled his eyes and laughed.

Jack turned and gave both Rose and The Doctor a hug. "You two better visit, and often." He threatened with a grin before heading over to the rest of his team.

"Take care of yourself babe." Mickey said pulling Rose into a hug. Turning to The Doctor, he held up a fist. "Always good to see you, boss."

"And you." The Doctor smiled, bumping the man's fist with his own.

Mickey gave a quick hug to Jackie and shook Pete's hand before begging off to join Jack.

"Would you like to see your new home?" The Doctor asked, turning to Pete and Jackie.

The couple looked at one another with timid smiles and nodded. "Oh, but I'll need to clear out the flat first." Jackie told him.

The Doctor shook his head. "Already taken care of."

Jackie stared at him in complete wonderment and then walked up and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you." she said, trying to keep from breaking out into tears again. Turning back to Pete, she slipped her hand into his and they headed into the TARDIS.

The Doctor smiled as he felt a set of warm fingers entangle with his own. "You jus' never cease to amaze me." Rose said softly.

"Does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?" he asked somewhat disappointed.

She bit her lower lip in attempts to stifle a laugh as she studied his expression. "You know," she said wrapping her arms around his neck. "Make up sex is actually better than an angry shag."

"Really?" his face brightened.

This time, she couldn't hold back her laughter. "Why don't we get my parents home first and I'll show you."

"I'm gonna hold you to that, Rose Tyler." he whispered as he took her hand and led her back to the TARDIS.

**-oOo-**

Pete and Jackie had been dropped off at their new home, with the promise to come back and visit after some much needed rest for both couples, so it was just The Doctor and Rose alone in the TARDIS once again. As soon as they were floating safely in the vortex, Rose spoke up.

"Why didn't you tell me about the vision?" Rose asked quietly.

The Doctor sighed and yanked on his ear. "I guess I was hoping it was wrong."

"You'd been havin' nightmares for weeks." She pointed out.

"Rose,"

"No. Now we agreed that when we started this relationship there'd be no more secrets." She stepped closer, placing her hands on his chest. "You should have told me."

"Would you have left?" he asked.

"What? Why would you even think that?"

"I don't know," he replied in frustration. "To keep it from happening. To protect our daughter."

"I promised you forever. That means M' never gonna leave you. Whatever comes our way, we'll face it together, yeah? Together or not at all."

He stared back at her, his face showing a wide range of emotions from anger to sadness. She could be so unbelievably stubborn. So damn aggravating, exasperating, argumentative, kind, loving and unbelievably loyal. "I'm so glad I met you." He said.

She blinked at him for a moment and then smiled. "Me too."

Leaning down, he captured her lips in a soft kiss.

"Oh," she exclaimed pulling back.

"What? What is it?"

"The baby kicked." She paused, glancing down at her stomach. "I felt her. I felt her kick."

She took The Doctor's hand, placing it against her stomach and covered it with her own. After a few seconds he felt it too and grinned.

"But I thought you said this kind a thing wouldn't happen till three months in."

He shrugged. "I told you, I'm still not certain on some of the specifics, and it's only a couple of weeks sooner than I thought." He leaned down and pressed the side of his face next to her stomach. "Besides, she's brilliant like her mom."

"Oof." She felt a slightly harder kick from the baby in response to his words. "An' a trouble maker like her dad." She grinned, tongue in teeth.

"What the bloody hell is this?!"

Startled by the unknown voice, The Doctor stood up quickly; pulling Rose into a protective embrace as they stared dumbfounded at the mysterious red head that had suddenly appeared in the middle of the room in a wedding dress.

"What?" The Doctor replied in disbelief.

"Who are you?!" The woman shouted, looking between the pair.

"But…" he looked at Rose, who shook her head, just as confused as he was.

"Where am I?" The red head asked.

"What?" The surprise appearance of the mysterious bride seemed to have a rather strange effect on The Doctor's normally non-stop gob by reducing it to a single word.

"What the hell is this place?" she asked again.

"What?"

Rose sighed and began rubbing her temple anticipating the oncoming migraine. _'Here we go again'._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ha Ha! Jack and Mickey working together and Rose gained a family. Well that's all for this week. Once again, reviews are welcome and I'm happy to answer any questions as well. Really looking forward to be able to write Donna. To me she's just as funny as Jack.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Welcome to season 3. Preliminaries first, of course. I Do Not Own Doctor Who. I am simply borrowing the characters for my and the wonderful people who read the story's amusement. Also, even though I know I've been bad about responding to all your comments, (So Sorry.) I just want to say, wow and thank you. The feedback I've received really means a lot to me. And now for your entertainment, please enjoy The Runaway Bride.**

* * *

><p><strong>Previously…<strong>

_"What? What is it?"_

_"The baby kicked." She paused, glancing down at her stomach. "I felt her. I felt her kick." _

_She took The Doctor's hand, placing it against her stomach and covered it with her own. After a few seconds he felt it too and grinned._

_"__But I thought you said this kind a thing wouldn't happen till three months in."_

_He shrugged. "I told you, I'm still not certain on some of the specifics, and it's only a couple of weeks sooner than I thought." He leaned down and pressed the side of his face next to her stomach. "Besides, she's brilliant like her mom." _

_"__Oof." She felt a slightly harder kick from the baby in response to his words. "An' a trouble maker like her dad." She grinned, tongue in teeth._

_"What the bloody hell is this?!" _

_Startled by the unknown voice, The Doctor stood up quickly; pulling Rose into a protective embrace as they stared dumbfounded at the mysterious red head that had suddenly appeared in the middle of the room in a wedding dress._

_"What?" The Doctor replied in disbelief. _

_"Who are you?!" The woman shouted, looking between the pair._

_"But…" he looked at Rose, who shook her head, just as confused as he was. _

_"Where am I?" The red head asked._

_"What?" The surprise appearance of the mysterious bride seemed to have a rather strange effect on The Doctor's normally non-stop gob by reducing it to a single word._

_"What the hell is this place?" she asked again._

_"What?" _

_Rose sighed and began rubbing her temple anticipating the oncoming migraine. 'Here we go again'._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11 – Another Christmas in the Trenches<strong>

"Well?" The red head asked angrily as she stood before them; arms crossed and tapping her foot against the grating.

**"**What?" The Doctor stared back at her. "You can't do that. We're in flight. That is, that is physically impossible! How did…?"

Rose placed a hand over The Doctor's mouth. "Why don't we all calm down for a minute and start off with some introductions, yeah?" She placed her other hand against her chest. "M' Rose, and this is The Doctor." she nodded towards the Time Lord before removing her hand from his mouth. "And you are?"

"Donna." The red head replied, trying to curb her anger.

"Nice to meet you." Rose smiled.

"Yeah okay, now if you wouldn't mind telling me where the hell I am." Donna snapped.

"You're Inside the TARDIS." The Doctor replied.

"Inside what?"

"My um…" he and Rose shared a quick look before continuing. "My spaceship. It's called the TARDIS."

"Your spaceship?"

"Yeah."

"Which would make you what, an alien?"

"Yep." he replied popping the 'p'.

"Oh don't be stupid." Donna said rolling her eyes. "I need a phone." she began looking around the room and muttering to herself. "I shoulda known this would happen. I bet it was Nerys too. This has got her stink written all over it."

"Who the hell is Nerys, and wait a minute," The Doctor took in Donna's attire. "Why are you dressed like that?" Donna stopped muttering and glared at him. Wincing slightly, he glanced down at Rose who was giving him her own version of the 'dribbled on your shirt' look.

"I'm going ten pin bowling. Why do you think, Dumbo?" the red head shouted. "I was halfway up the aisle! I've been waitin' all my life for this. I was just seconds away, and then you, I don't know, you drugged me or something."

"I haven't done anything!" The Doctor replied defensively as he finally released Rose from his protective grip.

Donna paused in her rant and looked between the two of them as if something just clicked into place. "What was he just doin' with his head on your stomach." She asked Rose.

"Oh," she chuckled. "He was talkin' to the baby."

"Baby?" she squawked, looking at The Doctor accusingly. "Is that what you do? Travel 'round space, pickin' up women and impregnatin' 'em? Well you can just think again spaceman, 'cause I'm not carrying your alien offspring!"

Rose let out a snort, followed by a giggle and then bit her bottom lip when she saw the look on the Time Lord's face. "Sorry," she muttered. "It was funny." Turning back to the red head, she gave her a reassuring smile. "Donna, we're…" she looked up at The Doctor who seemed to be waiting for her response as well. "Together." She finished.

"What?" Donna looked The Doctor up and down, and then leaned forward slightly in Rose's direction. "Really?"

"Oi!"

"Oh look in a mirror you scrawny Martian."

"I'm not from Mars." He pouted.

"Who bloody cares!" she shot back. "I need to get out of here." Looking over her shoulder, she noticed the doors at the bottom of the ramp and took off towards them.

"No, wait…" Rose called, hurrying after her. "Donna don't open those!"

Ignoring the blonde's warning, Donna yanked open both doors, ready to make a run for it and then stumbled backwards at the sight before her.

"S' a spiral nebula." Rose said softly as she stepped up beside her. "You're in outer space," she explained. "And he really is an alien, he wasn't lyin' about that."

Donna looked around in awe. "How am I breathing?"

"The TARDIS generates a force field around herself. Creates a sort 'a bubble that protects us."

The red head shuddered, rubbing her arms. "It's freezin' with these doors open."

Rose gave the woman a sad smile and then pushed the doors shut. When they turned around, The Doctor was standing at the console looking over the readings on the monitor and shaking his head.

"I don't understand this, and I understand everything." He complained. "This…this can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside." He pushed back from the monitor and grabbed an ophthalmoscope from the tool belt attached to the console. "Maybe it's some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field?" he babbled as he made his way over to Donna, brandishing the tool in his hand. "Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic…"

Rose grabbed the ophthalmoscope from The Doctor's hand as he passed her and tossed it onto the jumpseat. "Doctor, calm down. There's more important things to worry about right now, than how she got here."

"Like what?"

"Like what?" Donna repeated bewilderedly. "How about getting me to the church!"

"Right! Fine!" he shouted back returning to the console. "We don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?"

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road. Chiswick, London. England, Earth, the Solar System." She replied, emphasizing each word as her voice became shrill.

"Right, Chiswick." The Doctor quickly entered the coordinates, bouncing around the control panel and flipping switches. After a few seconds, he pulled down on the materialization lever and the TARDIS landed with a soft thud. "Here we are, Chiswick." He said looking up at the red head and making a shooing motion with his hands. "Off you go."

Donna narrowed her eyes and hiking her dress up to her ankles, turned and hurried towards the door. Opening it cautiously, she stepped out to find herself in a large alleyway surrounded by a large group of flats. "I said, Saint Mary's." she turned to look back at The Doctor who had just exited the TARDIS with Rose behind him. "What sort of Martian are you? Where's this?"

The Doctor ignored her, gently stroking the TARDIS's outer wall."

"What is it Doctor?" Rose asked.

He shook his head. "Something's wrong with her. It's like she's…" he paused in thought for a moment before running back inside. "Recalibrating!" he called out. "She's digesting. What is it? What have you eaten? What's wrong?"

Rose watched through the doorway as he rushed about the console and then turned her attention back to Donna who was staring at the TARDIS in disbelief. "You alright?" she asked gently. When the woman didn't reply, Rose moved over towards her. "S' okay you know. The whole bigger on the inside thing can be a little overwhelming."

"Donna?" The Doctor interrupted, poking his head out the door. "You've really got to think. Is there anything that might've caused this? Anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts?" he began tugging on his ear as he stepped out of the timeship to join them. "I can't let you go wandering off. What if you're dangerous? I mean, have you, have you seen lights in the sky, or did you touch something like something, something different, something strange? Or something made out of a box of metal or..." he paused. "Who're you getting married to? Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he?"

"Doctor!" Rose shouted, halting his interrogation. "First off, if you're goin' to ask a question, pause long enough to give her time to answer, yeah? And secondly, why would she be marryin' a Slitheen?"

"You can never be too sure, and I'm just ruling out all the possibilities in case…" he looked up to see Donna heading down the alleyway towards the street. "Donna!" he called out. Reaching down, he took Rose's hand and they ran after her.

"Donna, wait." The Doctor said once they had caught up to her.

"Leave me alone. I just want to get married."

"Come back to the TARDIS." he tried again. "We can figure things out from there."

"No way." She shook her head. "That box is too weird."

"It's bigger on the inside, that's all." He argued.

"Oh! That's all?" she replied sarcastically. Sighing, she looked down at her watch. "Ten past three. I'm going to miss it."

"You can phone them." Rose suggested. "Tell them where you are."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Haven't you got a mobile?" The Doctor asked.

Donna stopped midstride and turned to face him. "I'm in my wedding dress." She said, voice rising. "It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting at Chez Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets!" She yelled, fists clenched and breathing heavily.

The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "This man you're marrying. What's his name?"

Donna's face softened a bit as she thought of her husband to be. "Lance." She replied in a gentler tone.

"Good luck, Lance." He muttered.

"Oi!"

"Doctor!" Rose rebuked, lightly smacking his arm. "Donna, here you can use mine." She offered pulling her mobile out of her pocket.

"Thanks." Donna said taking the phone. "No stupid Martian is going to stop me from getting married." The red head muttered as she stalked away from them to make her call.

"I'm…I'm not from Mars." He grumbled looking over at Rose.

"Hey, don't look at me." She held her hands up. "You're the one who made her mad."

"She started it."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Doctor, she's upset. S' her wedding day. This is supposed to be the happiest day of her life and she's missin' it."

"I will never understand the human obsession with this whole wedding nonsense." He ran a hand through his hair. "You lot have to have the perfect dress and the perfect tux, and the posh venue and music and flowers and cake and…I mean does all that stuff really matter?"

She shrugged as she watched Donna speaking animatedly into the phone while pacing back and forth. "To some people I guess, yeah."

"What about you?" he asked.

She turned back to him and raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

He swallowed roughly and began tugging on his ear. "Does that kind of stuff matter to you?"

Rose shook her head as though she was trying to clear it. "I haven't really thought about that kind a' stuff in a long time. I mean, yeah when I was a younger, I admit I use to dream of the perfect fairytale wedding, but then…"

She looked up to see him studying her closely. They were heading into uncharted territory, and she wasn't quite sure what answer he was searching for. She was perfectly content in their relationship. Did she want more? Of course she did. With him she wanted everything he could and would give, but she would never pressure him for it. Yes, she had gotten pregnant which had been a huge turning point while in the beginnings of starting an actual relationship, but they were dealing with it, together. Now here he was discussing the rationality of marriage. Was it possible that he had actually been thinking about that as a next step, or was he trying to gauge her reaction to the idea because he thought she would eventually expect it?

"But then?" he prodded.

Looking into his eyes, she continued. "I grew up. Life happens, things change. Sometimes you realize that you can be happy with what you have without havin' to define it by others' standards." She took his hands in hers. "Doctor, what's this really about?"

He looked down at their joined hands before meeting her eyes. She knew him so well that the she could read the internal conflict all over his face and was once again giving him a way out of the conversation. It was true that normally this type of subject would have made him shut down emotionally while he hid out making unnecessary repairs on the TARDIS, but as the dynamic of their relationship had changed he found himself wanting more than he ever thought he would, and he knew deep down, she did too.

"I just don't see what all that stuff has to do with proving your commitment to someone." He said. "If you truly love someone, then all that 'window dressing' doesn't matter. What matters is what you pledge to one another." He looked deeply into her beautiful hazel eyes. "Rose, what I'm trying to say is…"

"No one's pickin' up." Donna huffed in frustration as she approached the couple and handed the phone back to Rose. "You'd think with me disappearing like that they'd have a bloody search party out lookin' for me by now." She looked between the pair, settling on The Doctor's irritated expression. "Oh, I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?" she asked sardonically.

"As a matter of fact…" The Doctor began.

"You know what, I think I'm just gonna get a cab." She said stalking off once more.

Rose sighed and pulled away from The Doctor to go after her. "C'mon, if you want to get to the bottom of this, we'd better follow her." She said heading in the direction Donna went.

When they caught up to her, she was standing at the curb yelling obscenities to unyielding taxi drivers.

"I really don't think that's going to get them to stop." The Doctor remarked.

"Oh shut up." Donna said waving her hands at another oncoming cab. "Taxi!"

"Do you have this effect on everyone?" The Doctor asked. "Why aren't they stopping?"

"They think I'm in fancy dress." She replied.

"There's another one!" Rose called out.

"Taxi!" Donna tried again as whizzed past them. "Oi! Why the hell is his light even on?" She complained.

"Stay off the sauce, darling!" The cabbie hollered out his window.

Donna threw her hands up in the air. "They think I'm drunk."

"You're fooling no one, mate!" a man yelled from another passing car on the opposite side of the street.

"They think I'm in drag!"

The Doctor opened his mouth to reply but then quickly shut it again upon seeing the warning look on Rose's face. Three more cabs passed by them without stopping before he had finally had enough. "Hold on, hold on." He said sticking his first finger and thumb into his mouth and releasing a high pitched whistle, making one of the cabbies quickly do a U-turn and pull up to the curb in front of them. With a pleased grin, he reached out and opened the back door, gesturing for them to get in.

Donna rolled her eyes as she hiked up her dress and climbed into the taxi, causing his smile to falter.

"You did good." Rose assured him with a quick kiss as she climbed in after her.

"Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road." Donna told the driver as they settled themselves in the back seat. "It's an emergency. I'm getting married. Just hurry up!"

"You know it'll cost you, sweetheart?" the man replied over his shoulder. "Double rates today."

"Oh, my God." She looked over at The Doctor and Rose. "Have either of you got any money?"

"Um, no." Rose replied.

"We usually don't need it." The Doctor added. "Don't you have any?"

"Pockets!" Donna reminded him snippily.

The taxi driver having heard the trio's exchange quickly pulled over to the curb and ordered them out, but not before receiving a fierce tongue lashing from Donna.

"And that goes double for your mother!" she shouted slamming the back door as she got out. "I'll have him. I've got his number." She said as she watched him speed off. "Talk about the Christmas spirit."

"It's Christmas?" The Doctor looked over at Rose to see she wore the same surprised expression.

"Well, duh." Donna replied with another eye roll. "Maybe not on Mars, but here it's Christmas Eve."

"I better call mum." Rose said pulling her phone from her pocket and moving away from the busy street so she could hear better.

"How come you're getting married on Christmas Eve?" The Doctor asked, shoving his hands into his pockets."

"Can't bear it. I hate Christmas." The red head grimaced. "Honeymoon, Morocco. Sunshine, lovely." She sighed. "But unless we find a way to get some money for a taxi, it looks like I'm not going anywhere."

"I'll tell you what," he said spotting an ATM at the end street. "Just, wait right here and I'll see what I can do about getting us some cash. Don't move." He said sternly and then took off in a sprint down the street.

"Where's he off to?" Rose asked, having finished her call.

"Said he was going to get some money."

The two women watched as he came to a halt in front of the cash machine, bouncing around like a hyperactive toddler as he waited his turn.

"Oh no," Rose pressed a hand to her forehead. "He's gonna sonic the ATM."

"He's going to what?"

"S' a…alien thing." Rose replied. "Last time he did it, the machine emptied itself into the street." She placed her hand on Donna's shoulder. "Jus' wait here, I'll be right back."

Rose reached the cash machine just as The Doctor pressed his sonic screwdriver against the screen.

"What are you doin'? Don't remember what happened last time?" she asked.

"Oh, don't worry, I recalibrated the setting." The cash machine beeped softly and then ejected a few notes. "See, nothing to worry about." He grinned at her as he pocketed the sonic and the money, but Rose's attention was elsewhere. "What is it?" he asked, following her gaze. Across the street, his eyes settled upon a trio of Santas playing brass instruments, and his stomach dropped.

"Pilot fish." Rose murmured.

"Taxi!" They heard Donna's voice call out and turned just in time to see her climbing into the back of a cab. "Thanks for nothing, spaceman!" she hollered. "I'll see you in Court."

As the cab pulled away, they both caught a glimpse of another Santa behind the wheel.

"Donna!" The Doctor shouted as the music behind them suddenly stopped.

"Doctor," Rose said, tugging on his sleeve.

The group of Santas had lowered their instruments, aiming them at the pair as they approached. The Doctor reached into his jacket and pulled out his sonic; aiming it at the cash machine once more and it began to spit out cash in droves. Reaching down, he grabbed Rose's hand and they took off running down the street as crowds of people attempting to retrieve the money put a barrier between them and their pursuers.

Upon entering the TARDIS, The Doctor quickly ran over to the console, pulling levers and spinning dials. He looked up at Rose just as she reached his side. "As soon as I say, I'm going to need you to steer her, just like I taught you."

"What are you gonna do?"

"Something incredibly dangerous and stupid."

"So the usual then?" she grinned tongue in teeth.

"Very cheeky, Rose Tyler." He said giving her a quick kiss.

As soon as they were airborne, sparks began to shoot up from the time rotor "Behave!" he shouted, smacking the control panel with mallet.

"You know she hates it when you do that." Rose commented.

"Yes, well, I don't particular like having bits of my hair singed off, but that doesn't seem to deter her either." he said as he ran down the ramp towards the doors and opened them.

From her position at the console, Rose could see they were hurtling towards the motorway. Realizing the speed at which they were descending, she quickly pulled back on the steering lever to avoid a crash landing, which resulted in a slight bounce off the tarmac. "Sorry." she smiled sheepishly as The Doctor grabbed onto the doorframe to steady himself.

"You're good," he called back. "Now get us as close to the cab as you can."

She weaved the TARDIS through traffic in a zigzag pattern until they were positioned right next to the taxi that Donna was in.

"Open the door!" The Doctor shouted, hanging halfway out of the blue box.

Donna stared back at him in surprise. "Do wha?

"Open the door!" he repeated.

"I can't, it's locked!"

Pulling his sonic screwdriver from his pocket, he pointed it at the car door and a after a few seconds the latch was released.

Donna immediately lowered the window and stuck her head out. "Santa's a robot." she drawled.

"Donna, open the door!" he shouted again in irritation.

"What for?"

"You've got to jump!"

"I'm not blinkin' flip jumpin'." She screeched. "I'm supposed to be gettin' married!"

The robotic driver, suddenly aware of what was going on, began to accelerate the cab's speed and started to pull away from the TARDIS as Donna gripped the window frame tightly; fear etched across her face.

"Rose, they're getting away." The Doctor hollered over his shoulder.

"On it." She called back, adjusting their speed.

After a slight bounce off the roof of a passing car, the TARDIS was once again floating alongside the taxi. Aiming his sonic screwdriver at the robot driver, The Doctor quickly deactivated it, causing it to clamp down onto the steering wheel as the cab began to lose control.

"Listen to me," he implored the emotional red head. "You've got to jump."

"I'm not jumpin' on a motorway!" Donna argued.

The Doctor took a breath in attempt to calm his frustration. "Look, whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it's not good!" he said holding out his hand. "Now, come on!"

"I'm in my wedding dress!"

"Yes, you look lovely!" he replied sarcastically. "Now come on!"

Donna looked over at the robot Santa apprehensively and then back at The Doctor before slowly reaching down to grasp the door handle. As she pulled up on it, the door swung open of its own accord, making a popping sound as the broken hinges locked it into place. She looked up at The Doctor once more, who was still holding his arms out, and then down at the asphalt passing beneath her, before retreating back into the cab, shaking her head. "I can't do it."

The Doctor held out his hand. "Trust me."

"Donna," Rose called out. "You can trust him. I swear to you he won't let you get hurt."

Donna scrunched up her face as she braced her hands against the inner frame and the door for leverage. Taking a deep breath, she leapt out of the taxi and straight into the TARDIS, knocking the Doctor onto his back in the process as the doors slammed shut behind her.

Rose quickly pulled up on the steering lever, propelling them back into the air and then ran over to help them up off the grating. "You alright?" she asked Donna as she got to her feet.

"Yeah, I think so." She replied, brushing off her dress. "So these robot Santas, what are they for?"

"Ah, your basic robo scavenger." The Doctor replied. "The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. We met them last Christmas."

Rose nodded "They traced him back to my mum's flat and left us a killer Christmas tree that tore a hole through the wall."

"That reminds me," The Doctor said. "Give me your hand." Donna held out her arm and he attached a metal band to her wrist.

"What is it?"

"It's a bio-damper. Those creatures can trace you, but this should keep you hidden."

"But I don't understand. Why would they…"

Donna's question was cut short as the time rotor ignited with a bang, showering sparks over them.

"What's wrong with her?" Rose asked as The Doctor quickly made his way over to the console while trying to dodge the flames.

"Dunno," he said. "But we better set her down for a bit until we figure it out.

**-oOo-**

A wave of smoke wafted from the open doors of the TARDIS as The Doctor emptied a fire extinguisher onto the last of the flames coming from the console. Whatever was going on with Donna and her mysterious appearance in their midst seemed to also be affecting his beloved ship.

Rose sighed as she turned her attention back to Donna. The Doctor had set them down on top of an apartment complex and the two women were now sitting at the edge of the roof, dangling their feet over the side as they looked over the city.

"You alright?" she asked the red head.

Donna shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

"Did we miss it?"

"Yeah."

"M' sorry." Rose said softly.

Donna looked up and gave her a small smile. "It's not your fault." Glancing at the blue box over her shoulder she chuckled. "Too bad that thing doesn't travel in time, we could go back and get it right."

"Well, actually…" Rose began.

"You are kidding me?"

"The problem is you can't cross your own timeline." Rose explained. "So it wouldn't really work."

Donna nodded as she studied the blonde for a moment. "So you and him are really together huh?"

"Yeah." Rose blushed.

"And the whole he's an alien thing doesn't bother you, with you bein' pregnant and all?"

"Nah." Rose shook her head. "Our biology is pretty much the same; his species is jus' a little more advanced. Which he likes to bring up quite a bit."

Donna snorted softly. "That doesn't surprise me. So do you know what you're having yet?"

"S' a girl." Rose smiled, running a hand over her stomach.

"Congratulations." Donna said looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Thanks." Rose looked over at Donna's pained expression. She could tell the woman was barely holding it together, and not ever having been in this type of situation herself, she wasn't able to offer much in the way of comfort. But she was a good listener, so maybe if she got her talking it might help. "So tell me, how'd you meet Lance?"

Donna's expression softened. "Oh, we met when I started temping at HC Clements about six months ago. I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought I'm never going to fit in here. And then…" she sighed fondly. "He made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee. And Lance, he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me. But he was nice, he was funny. And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him. One cup of coffee. That was it."

Rose grinned. "So it was love at first sight then?"

"Yeah," Donna nodded. "And then suddenly, he wanted to marry me. I mean, he practically insisted. And he nagged, and he nagged, and he just wore me down. And then finally, I just gave in."

"He sounds like an amazin' guy." Rose said.

"Mmm." Donna nodded. "He's wonderful."

"You know, funnily enough for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying." The Doctor commented as he approached, putting an end to their 'girl talk'. "We'd better give her a couple of hours." Looking down at Rose, he noticed her shivering slightly and removed his coat. "You shouldn't be out here without a jacket." He said wrapping the coat around her and kissing the top of her head. He then removed his pinstripe jacket and handed it to Donna.

"God, you're skinny." She remarked, as she pulled it over her shoulders. "This wouldn't fit a rat."

Rolling his eyes, he sat down next to Rose, pulling her against him and dangling his feet over the side of the building.

"So, the robo whats-its, you said you met them last year?" Donna inquired. "What happened then?"

The Doctor stared at her dumbfounded. "Great big spaceship hovering over London? You didn't notice?"

She shrugged. "I had a bit of a hangover."

"He stared at her for a moment longer as if contemplating. "Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know. What's your job?"

"I'm a secretary at HC Clements."

"It's weird." He said pulling his sonic screwdriver from his pocket, and proceeding to scan her with it. "I mean, you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important."

"Rude." Rose said elbowing him.

"Very." Donna agreed. "And stop bleepin' me!" she shouted as she batted the sonic away. "Do you ever have the urge to just punch him in the face?" she asked, looking over at Rose.

Rose laughed. "Sometimes, but 'S usually my mum that does the slappin'."

The Doctor winced and rubbed his cheek automatically before shaking off the memory. "What does HC Clements do?"

"Oh, security systems. You know, entry codes, ID cards, that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for locksmiths. Anyway, enough of my CV." She stood up, brushing off the back of her dress. "Come on, it's time to face the consequences."

The Doctor stood up as well, offering his hand to Rose and pulling her up and back into his arms.

"Oh, this is going to be so shaming." Donna shook her head. "You can do the explaining, Martian boy." She said poking The Doctor in the chest.

"Yeah, I'm not from Mars." He said stressing the last word.

Ignoring him, she turned back to Rose. "Oh, I had this great big reception all planned." Donna told her dejectedly. "Everyone's going to be heartbroken."

**-oOo-**

When the trio entered the reception hall, the sight that met them was not at all what they were expecting. The DJ was casually spinning records, and Donna watched mouth agape as her fiancé and the entire wedding party moved around the dance floor happily as if the ceremony had gone off without a hitch. As she continued to watch Lance dancing with a smug looking blonde, one by one the rest of the guests began to notice her presence and shortly after, the music stopped.

"You had the reception without me?" Donna asked in astonishment.

Lance spun around at the sound of her voice, and the smile faded from his face. "Donna, what happened to you?"

"You had the reception without me?" she repeated, her voice rising.

Donna turned towards her new friends. "They had the reception without me." She articulated.

"Yes, I gathered." The Doctor replied before leaning over her shoulder and waving. "Hello. I'm the Doctor and this is Rose." Rose gave a little wave as well, before gently tugging him away from the angry bride and her clenched fists.

"Well, it was all paid for." The blonde who had been dancing with Lance replied inconsiderately. "Why not?"

"Yes, thank you, Nerys." Donna spat.

An older woman stepped out of the crowd, and judging by the woman's resemblance and temperament, Rose could immediately tell that it was Donna's mother.

"Well, what were we supposed to do?" The woman chastised her daughter. "I got your silly little message in the end. I'm on Earth? Very funny. What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick, because I'd love to know."

The entire wedding party began advancing on them all at once, spouting out question after question and talking over one another until Donna broke out into tears, effectively silencing the room. Lance quickly raced over and wrapped her up in his arms, rubbing her back as he tried to console her while everyone else began to applaud them.

Donna tightened her grip on her fiancé, tilting her head to the side so she could look over at The Doctor and Rose. She gave them a small wink and then turned back to Lance as she continued her mock sobbing.

Rose giggled and The Doctor smiled in amusement as they watched Donna pull her fiancé onto the dance floor as the music started up again.

"Hey," he nudged her. "Give me your phone for a minute."

Reaching into her pocket, Rose pulled out her mobile and handed it to him. "Does it need to be recharged?"

He shook his head as he took out his glasses and slipped them on. "I just want to check out the place Donna mentioned." He pulled up the navigation paged and typed HC Clements into the search bar. After a few seconds the screen displayed the results. Upon seeing the words 'Sole property of Torchwood', the pair exchanged a troubled look.

"I better make a call." He told her and she nodded in agreement.

As he stepped out into the hall, Rose watched the people on the dance floor and thought back to the earlier conversation she had with The Doctor. Was this the type of thing she wanted when she thought of commitment? Maybe if she had been asked three years ago when she when she was still with Mickey she might have thought so. But even then, she never really pictured that type of future with him. She always imagined that there could be something more out there for her than just work, telly, and chips, and she knew that when she found it she would grab on tight and never let go. Then she met The Doctor and everything just fell into place. She was his from the moment he said "run" and she never looked back. Now standing here watching Donna and Lance as they moved about the dance floor and seeing how happy they were, she knew deep down that none of that stuff mattered anymore. Not the dress, not the reception, not even the fancy ceremony, because he had accepted her 'forever' and that display of commitment was good enough for her.

The Doctor had finished his call fairly quickly and stood in the doorway for a few minutes just watching Rose. She looked deep in thought, with the way she was chewing her lower lip and he wondered what she was thinking about. He thought for a moment about what he had asked her earlier in regards to all this wedding stuff. It wasn't that he hadn't thought about committing more fully, but the whole domestic aspect still kind of rattled him. As he continued to watch her, he noticed she was absentmindedly stroking her stomach again; something that had become quite an endearing habit of late; as she watched the dancers wistfully and he felt the immediate need to have her in his arms. Pocketing the phone, he made his way through the guests and over to her.

"I talked to Jack." he said over the music when she saw him approaching. "HC Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute. He said after everything that happened at Canary Wharf, it should have been shut down, but someone came in and took over before that could happen, and he hasn't been able to get any information on who it was."

"So what now?" she asked.

"Well, I'll probably want to have a look around the place, but first…" he held out his hand. "How about a dance Miss Tyler?"

Rose blushed and lightly bit down on her bottom lip as she slipped her hand into his. "I'd love to." She replied with a grin.

Returning her smile, he led her onto the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her as they began to sway to the music.

"They look really happy." Rose said as she looked over his shoulder at Donna and Lance.

"Yeah, seems so." The Doctor agreed before pulling her closer to him. "Rose, about earlier…"

Rose shook her head. "We don't need to talk about that now, okay? Let's jus' finish the dance and then we'll go do some investigatin', yeah?"

He nodded as the sound of clapping filled the air, signaling the end of the song. As they pulled apart and headed off the dance floor, he noticed a camera man on the opposite side of the room filming all the guests.

"What is it?" Rose asked, following his gaze.

"I just thought of something. C'mon" he said pulling her across the room.

"Sorry to bother you," The Doctor told the young man as they approached. "But I was wondering if you by any chance filmed any of the ceremony?"

"Oh, I taped the whole thing." he boasted. "They've all had a look. They said sell it to You've Been Framed. I said, more like the News." He flipped the video screen on the camera around to face them and rewound the tape to the ceremony footage. "Here we are." he said pressing the play button.

Donna's smiling face appeared on the screen as the footage showed her walking down the aisle with her father. A few seconds in, she was surrounded by a brilliant gold light and she began screaming as her entire body broke into tiny gold particles and shot up towards the ceiling.

"Can't be." The Doctor murmured. "Play it again."

The camera man rewound the tape once more so that they could get a better look.

"Are those…?" Rose began.

"Huon Particles." The Doctor nodded in confirmation.

"What's that then?" the camera man asked.

"That's impossible." The Doctor replied. "That's ancient. Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years." He turned to Rose as the realization made the color drain from his face. "So old that it can't be hidden by a biodamper!"

"Doctor!" Rose shouted after him as he raced from the room.

Donna having witnessed the exchange, made her way over to Rose. "What's he gone and done now?"

"I have no clue." The blonde replied, rubbing her temple.

"Donna!" The Doctor shouted as he re-entered the room. "Donna, they've found you."

"But you said I was safe."

"The bio-damper doesn't work." he said as he made his way over to them. "We've got to get everyone out."

Donna looked around the room frantically. "My God, it's all my family."

"Rose, check the side doors." he instructed. "I'll check the back."

Running over to the set of doors, she pulled back the curtain to reveal two robo santas heading towards them.

"Back door's out." The Doctor called as he came up behind them.

"Then we're trapped." Rose replied.

They watched as one of the robo santas lifted up a controller and pointed it towards the window. Both The Doctor and Rose looked at one another and then back over their shoulders at the enormous Christmas trees decorating the venue.

"What?" Donna asked upon seeing their expressions.

"Christmas trees." Rose breathed and glanced back at The Doctor.

"What about them?"

"They kill." The Doctor said as he began herding people away from them. "Get away from the tree!" he shouted. "Get away from the Christmas trees! Everyone get away from them!"

"Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot." Donna's mother retorted. "Why? What harm's a Christmas tree going to…Oh," she paused in fascination as the ornaments on the trees began to float up into the air and dance above their heads.

All of the guests murmured in awe at the spectacle until one of the ornaments dove downwards into the floor and exploded, creating a mass panic. One by one the ornaments threw themselves about the room, exploding wherever they landed while the guests screamed in terror and attempted to escape.

The Doctor grabbed Rose and dove behind the DJ's sound booth, shielding her with his body as two ornaments collided over their heads.

"Hello." she said softly once he had lifted himself off of her enough to see her face.

"Hello." he replied, leaning down to give her a kiss before helping her to her feet.

As they peered over the side of the sound booth, they saw six robo santas that had lined themselves up across the room. Out of the corner of her eye, Rose noticed Donna and Lance hiding underneath one of the tables and gestured to them to stay put, to which they had no objections.

"Rose, get down and cover your ears." The Doctor ordered. Once she was out of the way, he turned back to the uninvited guests. "Oi! Santa!" he called out. "Word of advice. If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver," he picked up a microphone and flipped it in his hand before bringing it to his lips. "Don't let him near the sound system."

Taking his sonic screwdriver, he inserted it into the control board and flicked the switch creating a massive sound wave that shook the robots to pieces. When the last one collapsed to the ground he removed the sonic and bent down to check on Rose.

"You alright?" he asked gently.

She nodded, removing her hands from her ears. "Yeah, sound wasn't as bad back here."

Helping her to her feet, he placed a kiss to the top of her head and then made his way across the room to check on the robots.

Rose shook her head a little in attempts to clear the ringing sound in her ears and then walked over to where Donna was fussing over a few children while trying to calm down her fiancé.

"What is it?" Lance demanded. "What were they?"

"Just stop wittering and help them." Donna said, pushing him towards the kids. "You alright?" she looked at Rose concernedly.

"Yeah, M' fine. A lot of other people are hurt though."

"We've got ambulances on the way." Lance called over his shoulder.

"Good. You okay?" Rose asked, placing her hand on the bride's shoulder.

"Yeah." Donna sighed. "It's just this whole day has been completely mental. I keep lookin' around and sayin' to myself, this can't possibly get any worse."

"Look at that." The Doctor interrupted, tossing Rose a robo santa head. "Remote control for the decorations, but there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession."

"I just jinxed myself didn't I?" Donna said with a withered look at Rose.

"There's still a signal." He continued, gesturing for them to follow him outside. "There's someone behind this, directing the Roboforms."

"But why is it me? What have I done?"

He took the severed robot head back from Rose and began to sonic the inner works. "If we find the controller, we'll find that out. Ooo!" he lifted the sonic above his head. "It's up there. Something in the sky."

"Please tell me S' not the Sycorax again." Rose said.

"No." he said quietly. "This is definitely something else."

The Doctor began to make his way around the parking lot, trying to get a better read on the signal's origin while the two women watched with slight amusement.

"Alright, I demand to know what's going on." Lance said, stalking up to them.

"Where do you want me to start?" Donna asked irritably.

As Lance formed a retort, he was suddenly startled by a strange metal tool with a blue light on the end as it appeared in front of his face.

"I've lost the signal." The Doctor announced. "Donna, we've got to get to your office." He turned to Rose. "HC Clements. I think that's where it all started." Glancing back at Donna he noticed her fiancé studying him closely. "Lance!" he grinned walking over to clap the man on the back. "Is it Lance?" The man nodded still slightly confused by The Doctor's behavior. "Lance, can you give us a lift?"

"Okay," he said slowly. "Car's around back."

"Good man." The Doctor patted his back once more and then reached out for Rose's hand. "Let's go."

**-oOo-**

When they entered the office building The Doctor went straight for the computers, using his sonic to access their records.

"To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute." he explained to the almost newlyweds.

"Who are they?" Donna asked.

"They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf." He took in her blank expression and continued. Cyberman invasion. Skies over London full of Daleks?"

"Oh," Donna said thoughtfully. "I was in Spain."

"They had Cybermen in Spain."

"Scuba divin'." she informed him, making Rose snicker.

The Doctor gave his pink and yellow human a mock glare before turning back to the red head. "That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it."

"So, Torchwood was destroyed, yeah?" Rose said, moving the conversation along. "But HC Clements stayed in business and Jack thinks someone else came in and took over the operation?"

"Basically."

"Who's Jack?" Donna inquired.

"He's a friend of ours. Now back to the topic at hand" The Doctor quickly brushed off the subject, not wanting to get into the enigma that is Jack Harkness at the moment.

Donna sighed and crossed her arms. "Okay, so what do they want with me?"

"Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy. And that's a problem, because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark Times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened." he glanced over at one of the desks and picked up a coffee mug and a pencil. "Say, that's the TARDIS." he gestured to the mug. "And that's you." he held up the pencil. "The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetized and whap." he emphasized his point by dropping the pencil into the mug and swirling it around. "You were pulled inside the TARDIS."

"I'm a pencil inside a mug." she said flatly.

"Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up." Setting the mug down, he turned to her fiancé. "What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?"

"I don't know. I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager." Lance said irritably. "Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?"

"They make keys, that's the point." The Doctor muttered to himself as he returned to the computer which was now displaying the schematics of the building. "And look at this. We're on the third floor." He murmured as he hopped up and ran over to the lift.

The three humans in the room exchanged a look and moved to follow him.

"Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?" he said, stepping into the glass box and examining the buttons on the panel. "Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked lower basement? Jack was right." he grinned looking up at Rose. "He said there's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. Question is what's down there?"

Lance eyed him skeptically. "Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?"

"No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor."

"It needs a key." Donna pointed out.

"I don't." The Doctor smirked, pointing his sonic at the panel and activating it. "Right then." he said, finger poised over the button. "Thanks you two, but we can handle it from here. See you later."

He took Rose's hand and grinned, reminding her of a similar elevator ride back on Satellite 5, when he was big ears and leather, and she returned his smile.

"No chance, Martian." Donna piped up. "You two keep savin' my life. I ain't lettin' either of you out of my sight." She turned back to her fiancé, with a slight jerk of her head, gesturing towards the lift. "Lance?"

"Maybe I should go to the police." He suggested.

"Inside." she ordered sharply.

Grumbling under his breath, he reluctantly stepped into the lift.

The Doctor glanced over at Donna and then leaned forward over Lance's shoulder. "To honor and obey?" he goaded.

"Tell me about it, mate."

"Oi!" Donna said warningly as Rose lightly smacked The Doctor on the arm.

The remainder of the ride down was done in silence. As the doors opened into the lower basement, they stepped out into a dank corridor, illuminated by an eerie green light.

"So what do you think they use this place for?" Rose asked, squeezing The Doctor's hand to help alleviate the spookiness of the tunnel.

Looking down at her, he smiled mischievously and wiggled his eyebrows "Let's find out."

"Do you think Mister Clements knows about this place?" Donna asked as they walked along the tunnel.

"The mysterious HC Clements? I think he's part of it." The Doctor stopped short and his face broke into a massive grin. "Oh, look. Transport." The others followed his line of sight and saw the Segway's leaning up against the wall. "C'mon Rose," he hollered over his shoulder.

As he eagerly ran over to the scooters, Rose couldn't help but giggle at his boyish delight.

"There's only three of them, so you and I will just have to share." He practically purred into her ear, making her shiver pleasantly.

Taking her hand, he helped her step up onto the back of the scooter and then he pulled himself up behind her, placing his hands on the steering bars and caging her in.

"You sure you don't want me in back." She asked him, somewhat breathily.

"No, this is good." He replied, although the tone of his voice seemed a little higher than normal.

"Oi, Spaceman. If you're done feelin' her up, can we get on with this mission of yours?" Donna requested, climbing onto her own scooter.

Rose blushed as The Doctor made a choking noise and then cleared his throat. "Right then, on we go."

They had only been motoring down the corridor for a few minutes when suddenly Donna burst out laughing. With the day she had been having, riding on moped in her wedding dress, down a hallway in a secret basement next to an alien and his pregnant girlfriend seemed to be the icing on the cake and she finally let loose. Rose and The Doctor watched her for a moment and then broke out in giggles of their own while Lance looked at them as though they had all gone insane. Their laughter slowly tapered off as they reached a large door at the end of the hall labeled 'TORCHWOOD. AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.' Hopping off the scooter he walked over and turned the hatch wheel to open the door, revealing a ladder.

"Wait here. Just need to get my bearings." he was halfway to the ladder when he spun around again and pointed his finger at the bride and groom. "Don't do anything. And watch her." he gestured to Rose. "She tends to wander off." he gave her a lopsided grin and she stuck out her tongue as he made his way up the ladder.

They watched as he made his way to the top and open another hatch door before climbing out on top of the structure.

"What do you see?" Rose called up to him.

"Thames flood barrier right on top of us." he responded. After a few more seconds, he lowered himself back down into the opening and pulled the hatch shut before descending down the ladder. "Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath." he said hopping off the last rung when he reached the bottom.

Donna's mouth dropped open. "What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?"

"Oh, I know." he replied cheekily as Rose stifled a laugh. "Unheard of." He brushed past the couple and reached out for Rose's hand. "C'mon, then" he called back over his shoulder.

**-oOo-**

As the group reached the end of the corridor, they came upon the lab facilities.

"Ooh, look at this." The Doctor grinned happily as he weaved through the large bubbling glass tubes stationed throughout the room. "Stunning!"

"What does it do?" Donna inquired.

"Particle extrusion. Hold on." he let go of Rose's hand and ran over to one of the larger tubes on the other side of the room. "Brilliant." he said, tapping the glass. "They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Course, my people got rid of Huons. They unravel the atomic structure."

"Your people?" Lance spoke up, sounding slightly nervous. "Who are they? What company do you represent?"

"Oh, I'm a freelancer." The Doctor replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. "But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river. Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result." he removed a small glass from the side of one of the tubes and held it up. "Huon particles in liquid form."

"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked as she and Rose examined the clear liquid.

Tilting the jar slightly, The Doctor adjusted the knob on the top of the jar, and the liquid began to give off a golden glow. With another twist, the same glow began to emanate from Donna's entire body.

"Oh, my God!" she gasped as she looked down at the golden light surrounding her.

"Genius." The Doctor shook his head in awe. "Because the particles are inert, they need something living to catalyze inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then…" he trailed off, catching a glimpse of Rose as she continued to study the Huons. He noticed a fleck of gold in her irises created by the reflection of the particles in the jar and it called to mind the memory of her ethereal form standing over him, protecting him, loving him, and it filled him with a wave of utter happiness, and that's when everything clicked into place.

"The wedding!" he exclaimed. "Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle. Oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine. Wham! go the endorphins. Oh, you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven. A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away. The particles reach boiling point. Shazam!"

Donna listened into his insane babbling, nodding along although she couldn't understand any of it until it finally became too much and she slapped him.

"What did I do?" he looked over at Rose as he rubbed his cheek. "Blimey, she slaps almost as hard as your mother."

"Are you enjoying this?" Donna fumed.

The Doctor lowered his head apologetically and Rose rubbed his shoulder.

Donna sighed. "Right, just tell me. These particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"

"Yes." he stated unconvincingly.

She tilted her head and gave him a skeptical look. "Doctor, if your lot got rid of Huon particles, why did they do that?"

"Because they were deadly." He looked over at Rose and could tell she was revisiting the same memory as he had a few minutes ago, but for a different reason.

"Oh, my God." Donna groaned.

"I'll sort it out, Donna." he said. "Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it."

"_Oh, I'm afraid it's too late for that._"

The group looked around the room in confusion trying to locate the owner of the voice as the wall in front of them shuddered and began to rise, revealing a gaping hole in the middle of the floor. The Doctor reached out and pulled Rose against his side as the voice spoke again.

"_I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!_"

As the wall ascended, they saw multiple roboforms lining the catwalks on both sides of the room with weapons trained on them.

"Someone's been digging." The Doctor observed. "Oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser." he leaned forward to look inside. "How far down does it go?"

_"Down and down, all the way to the center of the Earth!" _

"Really?" he furrowed his brow. "Seriously, what for?"

"Dinosaurs."

"What?" The Doctor scrunched up his face in confusion and looked back at Donna.

"Dinosaurs?" she repeated, suddenly less sure of her answer.

"What are you on about, dinosaurs?"

"That film, Under the Earth, with dinosaurs." she looked over at Rose, who was covering her face to hide a grin and shrugged. "Tryin' to help."

The Doctor shook his head in frustration. "That's not helping."

_"Such a funny girl."_ The voice said.

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair as he began to pace. "Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad." he told the mysterious voice. "Where are you?"

_"High in the sky. Floating so high on Christmas night."_

"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom!" he replied, his frustration starting to boil over. "Come on, let's have a look at you!"

_"Who are you with such command?" _

"I'm the Doctor." He replied matter-of-factly.

_"Prepare your best medicines, doctor man, for you will be sick at heart."_

A flash of blue light filled the room, and as it dissipated they found themselves face to face with a gigantic, red, half humanoid; half spider-like creature.

"Racnoss?" The Doctor said, eyes widening. "But that's impossible. You're one of the Racnoss?"

"Empress of the Racnoss." The female spider replied.

"What are the Racnoss Doctor?" Rose asked, looking up at him.

"The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. Billions." he explained. "They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets."

"Racnoss are born starving." The Empress replied. "Is that our fault?"

"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or," he paused for a moment in thought. "Are you the only one?"

"Such a sharp mind." she hissed.

"Hold on," Donna said as she ran back over the conversation in her mind. "They eat people?"

The Doctor turned back to the red head. "Let's put it this way. HC Clements, did he wear those, those um, black and white shoes?"

"He did." Donna confirmed. "We used to laugh. We used to call him the fat cat in spats."

The Doctor nodded along with her and then pointed upwards. Donna followed his finger's trajectory and noticed a pair of feet wearing those same black and white shoes sticking out of the webbing that lined the ceiling.

"Oh, my God!"

"Mmm. My Christmas dinner." The Empress cackled.

You shouldn't even exist." The Doctor argued. "Way back in history, the fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss they were wiped out."

"Except for me." she boasted.

A small movement on the ledge above the Empress caught Donna's eye.

"How'd he get up there?" Rose whispered to the red head as she too caught sight of Lance while he made his way across the balcony and made a shushing gesture with his finger.

"I dunno," Donna replied. "But we need a diversion. That's what I've got inside me right, that Huon energy thing." she asked the Empress as they watched Lance slowly make his way down the stairs towards her, brandishing a fire axe. "Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking." she hollered in attempts to keep the Racnoss's attention diverted. "Where do I fit in? How come I get all stacked up with these Huon particles? Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me."

"The bride is so feisty."

"Yes, I am! And I don't know what you are, you big thing, but a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!" she shouted to Lance.

The Empress turned just in time to see Lance raising the axe to strike, and she hissed furiously, causing him to freeze up on the spot. After a few seconds, he relaxed his stance as both he and the Empress broke out into a fit of laughter.

"That was a good one." he told her. "Your face."

"Lance is funny." The Empress agreed, still laughing.

Donna looked back at them confusedly. "What?"

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said softly.

"Sorry for what?" she brushed him off. "Lance, don't be so stupid!" she shouted. "Get her!"

"God, she's thick." Lance said bitterly, his laughter finally subsiding. "Months I've had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."

"I don't understand." Donna shook her head.

"How did you meet him?" The Doctor asked quietly.

"In the office." Donna finally turned her attention to him and took in his sorrowful expression. Behind him Rose was practically seething as she sent death glares towards Lance.

"He made you coffee." Rose said through gritted teeth.

"What?"

"Every day, I made you coffee." Lance reiterated.

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months." The Doctor explained, trying to make her understand.

Her face fell as realization settled in. "He was poisoning me."

"It was all there in the job title." The Doctor said, turning back to Lance with a look of disdain. "The Head of Human Resources."

"This time, it's personnel." Lance quipped.

"But," Donna shook her head still reeling from the revelation. "We were gettin' married."

"Well, I couldn't risk you running off. I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavor Pringle."

Donna struggled to hold back her tears as he unloaded on her, while all Rose wanted to do was punch him square in the face.

"Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap." Lance continued. "Oh, Brad and Angelina. Is Posh pregnant? X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia. I deserve a medal.

"Oh, is that what she's offered you?" The Doctor shot back. "The Empress of the Racnoss. What are you, her consort?"

"It's better than a night with her."

"But I love you." Donna said in a small voice.

Lance gave her a mock look of sympathy. "That's what made it easy. It's like you said, Doctor. The big picture. What's the point of it all if the human race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?"

"You know," Rose piped up. "I've met quite a few monsters in the last few years, but you are by far the worst."

"Well, thanks sweetheart." Lance said with a wink, causing The Doctor to have to physically restrain her from going up on the platform and knocking his teeth out.

The Empress turned to her coconspirator. "Who is this little physician?"

"She said Martian." Lance replied gesturing to Donna.

"Oh, I'm sort of homeless." The Doctor said as he kept his hold on Rose. "But the point is what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's going to help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"

"I think he wants us to talk." Lance told the Empress.

"I think so, too." she agreed.

"Well, tough!" Lance said. "All we need is Donna."

The Empress turned towards the Roboforms lining the walls. "Kill this chattering little doctor man."

"Over my dead body." Rose growled.

"Rose," he said warningly.

"No! M' not gonna let them hurt you." she argued, refusing to move away from him.

"At arms!" The Empress shouted and the robots turned their guns on The Doctor.

"Don't worry, I have a plan." he assured her quietly.

"Take aim!"

"Well, unless it involves us teleporting out of here immediately, M' not leaving'." Rose replied stubbornly.

"Weell, maybe not teleporting exactly but…" he wiggled his eyebrows and called out to the Empress. "Just, just, just, just, just hold on. Hold on just a tick. Just a tiny little, just a little tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So reverse it," he pulled the small jar of Huon particles out of his pocket and held it up, twisting the knob on the top. "And the spaceship comes to her."

The golden glow once again engulfed Donna's body, and suddenly the TARDIS began to materialize around them just as the Empress ordered the robots to fire. As soon as the blue box solidified, The Doctor released Rose and ran over to the console.

"Off we go." he shouted flipping the dematerialization lever. "We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet's core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene. I've always wanted to see this. Ladies, we're going further back than I've ever been before."

While The Doctor continued his long-winded speech, Donna lowered herself onto the jumpseat, trying to hold back her tears, but when she felt Rose's hand on her shoulder and looked up into her warm understanding gaze, she broke. Rose wrapped her arms around the woman and sunk into the seat beside her, stroking her hair as she wept.

"S' alright." she murmured softly. "S' gonna be alright."

The Doctor watched them for a moment with a sympathetic eye before turning back to the console. When it came down to it, unless it was Rose, he was never much one for being able to offer comfort in these types of situations, so he stayed back, allowing the two woman to speak privately while he maintained their current destination.

After a few moments Donna pulled back and sniffed. "I really thought he loved me."

"M' so sorry Donna." Rose said softly. "What he did to you is unforgivable. You are amazin' and you deserve so much more."

The red head gave her a watery smile. "You really think so?"

"Yeah," Rose nodded. "I really do."

"We've arrived." The Doctor called out timidly. "Want to see?"

Donna shrugged. "I suppose."

"Well come on then." he said as he made his way down the ramp to the doors. "No human's ever seen this. You two will be the first."

"All I want to see is my bed." Donna muttered as she stood up from the jumpseat.

Rose smiled and put her arm around the dejected bride as she led her to the door.

"Rose Tyler, Donna Noble," he pulled open both doors. "Welcome to the creation of the Earth."

Both Rose and Donna were in awe. The view was absolutely breathtaking. They were surrounded by floating pieces of rock and dust as they orbited the sun. Swirling in a sort of dance amongst hues of pinks, purples, oranges and blues.

"We've gone back four point six billion years." The Doctor informed them. "There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas. That's the Sun, over there. Brand new. Just beginning to burn."

"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked.

"All around us in the dust."

"Puts the wedding in perspective." she said sadly. "Lance was right. We're just tiny."

"No, but that's what you do. The human race makes sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars." He looked over at Rose. "This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

"So I came out of all this?"

The Doctor grinned. "Isn't that brilliant?"

"I think that's the Isle of Wight." Donna said pointing to a large rock that drifted past and the three of them laughed.

"Eventually, gravity takes hold." he continued. "Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in. Everything, piling in until you get..."

"The Earth." Donna finished.

He nodded. "But the question is what was that first rock?"

Rose noticed a spacecraft slowly emerging from one of the gaseous clouds. "Doctor, look." she said, pointing towards the ship. "Is that them?"

"The Racnoss." he confirmed and then furrowed his brow. "Hold on. The Racnoss are hiding from the war. What's it doing?"

"S' pullin' everythin' towards it." she murmured.

"Oh, they didn't just bury something at the center of the Earth." he said as they watched the rocks and dust gravitate towards the ship. "They became the center of the Earth. The first rock."

Suddenly there was a loud banging sound and the TARDIS shook violently, sending them sprawling to the floor.

"What was that?" Rose asked as he pulled her to her feet and checked her for injuries.

"Trouble." he replied once he was satisfied with her condition and moved over to shut the doors.

The TARDIS lurched again and he quickly made his way over to the console to try and stabilize her.

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna shouted.

"She." Rose corrected.

"Alright fine," Donna rolled her eyes. "She." the red head corrected herself and Rose gave her a thumbs up.

"Remember that little trick of mine, particles pulling particles?" The Doctor asked. "Well, it works in reverse. They're pulling us back!"

"Well, can't you stop it? Hasn't she got a handbrake?" Donna shouted over the rumbling as she grabbed onto the console to stay upright. "Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?"

"Backseat driver." he muttered under his breath. "Oh! Wait a minute! The extrapolator!" He picked up what looked like a surfboard and Rose immediately recognized it as the item they confiscated from Blon Fel-Fotch, one of the Slitheen that had attempted to take over London. "It can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!" Placing it on the console he whacked it with a mallet. "Now!" he shouted and the TARDIS landed with a soft thump.

Once the TARDIS was stable, he grabbed Rose's hand and headed for the door with Donna trailing behind them. As they exited the ship, they found themselves in another dim corridor, similar to the ones from earlier, only this one was illuminated in a pale blue lighting.

"We're about two hundred yards to the right." The Doctor said as he began to run, pulling Rose along with him. "Come on!"

Rounding a corner, he stopped them in front of a hatch door and began looking it over.

Donna was panting heavily when she caught up with them "So what do we do?" she asked as she tried to catch her breath.

"I don't know." he replied, pulling a stethoscope from his pocket and running it over the door as he listened. "I make it up as I go along. But trust me, I've got a history."

Donna looked over at Rose. "Brilliant huh? For your sake I hope she gets your genes." she said nodding towards the younger woman's stomach.

"Oi!" The Doctor shouted defensively.

Donna rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in frustration. "You still haven't explained why I'm full of particles, what are they for?"

"There's a Racnoss web at the center of the Earth," he said continuing his examination of the door."But my people unraveled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss were stuck."

Rose watched Donna as The Doctor spoke, trying not to laugh. To her, his non-stop gob was quite endearing. Maybe because she just loved the sound of his voice and enjoyed how excited he got over the littlest of things, but she could understand how others might not find that particular quirk so adorable. Donna was the type that would be referred to as 'the fiery red head', and her temperament reflected that description, which was why she and The Doctor's personalities clashed so easily. It was almost like watching siblings bicker when you observed their interactions. At the moment, he was of course rambling on with a lesson in Racnoss history, while Donna made faces and mimicked his longwinded speech with a blah, blah gesture. They were both so wrapped up in trying to control their laughter, that neither one of them noticed the danger creeping up from behind. Then suddenly, everything went dark.

"They've just taken hibernation for billions of years." The Doctor continued on; completely unaware of what had transpired. "Frozen, dead, kaput. So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it and…" he paused as he suddenly had an uneasy feeling wash over him. "The two of you have never been so quiet." He said as he turned around, finding himself alone. "Rose?" he called out. "Donna?" Looking up and down the corridor he ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, not good." he muttered to himself, pulling his sonic from his pocket and pointing it at the door. After a few seconds, the lock clicked and he turned the hatch wheel to yank open the door finding himself face to face with one of the Roboforms; holding a large gun. "Oh." He breathed out. "Definitely not good."

**-oOo-**

When Rose awoke, she found herself staring into a large gaping hole in the ground. Blinking a few times to clear her vision, she winced at the pain on her forehead and tried to lift her hand to check the injury, but it wouldn't budge.

"Rose, you awake?" she heard Donna ask.

As her sight finally came into full focus, Rose saw that the reason for her immobility was the thick web like substance that was currently pinning her to the ceiling. Glancing to her left, she saw that both Donna and Lance were in the same state as she was.

"Yeah, M' awake. What happened?"

"We're apparently spider chow thanks to this idiot over here." She turned her head towards Lance. "I hate you."

"Yeah, I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart." He shot back.

"My golden couple, together at last." Hissed a voice from below them. Rose looked down to see the Empress staring up at them in delight. "Your awful wedded life." She quipped. "And you've brought your little friend back with you. Tell me, do you want to be released?"

"Yes!" the trio replied simultaneously.

"The bride and groom are supposed to say, I do."

"Huh." Lance scoffed. "No chance."

"Say it!" The Empress commanded.

"I do." Lance muttered.

Donna looked back at him and rolled her eyes. "I do."

"Great, I do too." Rose added. "So can you let us down now?"

"Not a chance." The Empress replied. "Activate the particles. Purge every last one."

Rose watched as the golden light of the Huon energy began to glow around Donna and Lance once more, creating a large cloud of energy.

"And release!" the Empress ordered, sending the particles straight down into the dark pit. "The secret heart unlocks, and they will waken from their Sleep of Ages."

"Who will?" Donna asked. "What's down there?"

Lance whipped his head back in her direction and gave her a look. "How thick are you?"

"My children," The Empress informed them. "The long lost Racnoss, now reborn to feast on flesh! The web star shall come to me. My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Perish the web."

"Use them, not me!" Lance pleaded. "Use them!"

"Oh, my funny little Lance!" she laughed. "But you are quite impolite to your lady friends. The Empress does not approve."

Reaching up, she extended one of her razor-tipped legs to rip open the section of webbing that held him in place and he plummeted straight down into the hole, his cries echoing throughout the room.

"Lance!" Donna screamed as they watched him disappear into the darkness of the pit.

The Empress laughed once more. "I shall now harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat. My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them. So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man." She turned to face the Roboform that had appeared on the stairwell.

"Oh well. Nice try." The Doctor said, removing the mask and robe and dropping them to the floor. "Rose, the two of you are going to have to swing across." He called out, as he adjusted the settings on his sonic.

Donna's head snapped towards Rose. "What's he mean swing?"

"He's gonna use the sonic to loosen the web, and then we're gonna swing across to the other side of the pit."

"But, we'll fall." Donna protested.

"Nah, me an' him have done this type of stuff before." Rose assured her. "Don't worry, I'll go first and then you swing towards me and I'll catch you, yeah?"

Donna squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and then nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yeah, okay. Let's do it."

"Ready Rose?" The Doctor called out, activating the sonic.

"Ready!" she hollered back.

As he pointed the sonic screwdriver at the webbing, it began to deteriorate and as soon as her hands were free, Rose grabbed onto the thickest strand of webbing she could find. The remainder of the binding substance gave way and she was flying through the air in an almost Tarzan-esque manner. When she landed on the opposite side of the pit, she let go of the webbing and spun around to face Donna. "Your turn." She grinned.

The Doctor aimed his sonic once more and the next thing Donna knew, she was swinging towards Rose at an alarming speed and screaming her lungs out. Within seconds, Rose was grabbing ahold of her and pulling her safely away from the pit.

"See, that wasn't so bad." Rose teased.

Satisfied that the women were safe, The Doctor turned his attention back to their captor. "Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you and your children a place in the universe to co-exist. Take that offer and end this now."

"These men are so funny." The Empress laughed.

"What's your answer?"

"Oh I'm afraid I have to decline." She replied, turning to her Roboforms. "At arms! Take aim! And…"

"Relax." The Doctor finished as the robots slumped forward.

"What did you do?" Rose asked

He grinned as he pulled a large remote control from his pocket. "Guess what I've got?" he sing-songed.

Donna's mouth dropped open. "How did that fit in there?"

Rose laughed. "They're bigger on the inside."

Their amusement was cut short as a laser beam struck the railing right next to where The Doctor stood.

"Doctor, look out!" Rose yelled as another shot hit even closer, barely missing him and causing him to stumble backwards, and drop the remote. Looking across the room, he could see that another one of the Roboforms had just teleported in and he quickly scrambled for the remote in attempts to shut it down as well. The sound of Donna's screams made him realize that the robot had now turned its attention to her and Rose and as he grabbed the remote and stood up, he turned around just in time to watch Rose push Donna out of the way as it opened fire. The next shot hit the ground right next to Rose's feet, forcing her closer to the pit, and when she stepped backwards her foot hit a patch of loose concrete that immediately crumbled. The frozen look of fear on her face was the last thing he saw as she dropped straight down into the hole.

"Rooooooose!" he screamed as another laser beam whipped past his head. "Rooooooose!"

"My children thank you for your contribution." The Empress cackled.

The Doctor fumbled with the controller, while trying to dodge the nonstop laser beams that kept him cornered. He felt numb. The image of Rose plummeting into the hole was playing over and over again in his mind, and at that moment he wanted revenge. He was no longer thinking about the safety of the planet. He was no longer thinking about helping Donna. He didn't care if he destroyed the place, nor at that moment did he care if he survived. All he knew was that his Rose was gone, and the storm within him raged.

Donna stood in shock, with her hands over her mouth as she watched the scene unfold. If Rose hadn't pushed her out of the way when she did, it would have been her that fell into the pit. "Oh god, I'm so sorry." She said aloud as the tears spilled from her eyes. "Oh, Rose I'm so sorry."

"Okay, good. Well, stop bein' sorry and give me a hand up will ya?" a voice said.

Donna's tears immediately ceased as she couldn't quite believe what she had heard. Carefully making her way to the edge of the pit, she laid down flat on her stomach and slowly peered over the side. Rose was holding tightly to a piece of metal that jutted out of the wall just slightly below the opening and looking up at her with a mixture of both fear and relief adorning her face.

"Rose, oh my god." The redhead exhaled a shuddering breath as she reached down and grabbed the blonde's hand. As soon as she got a good enough grip, Donna pulled her up and out of the hole.

When they had backed up to a safe enough distance, Rose threw her arms around Donna and hugged her tight. "Thank you." Rose breathed out a sigh of relief into the other woman's shoulder. "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been here."

Donna pulled back and smiled. "Nah, I'm nothin' special. I'm sure you would have gotten out of it on your own."

The next words out of Rose's mouth, died on her lips as an explosion rocked the room. Looking over, they saw The Doctor standing against the railing with his sonic still pointed at the smoldering pile of what was left of the last robot, the full fury of the oncoming storm gracing his features.

"Roboforms are not necessary." The Empress announced. "My children have had a taste of your human and will now feast on Martian flesh."

"Oh, but I'm not from Mars." He said, his voice level.

"Then where?"

"My home planet is far away and long since gone. But its name lives on. Gallifrey." The name of his home planet was spoken in such a harsh tone, it made Rose shudder.

"They murdered the Racnoss!" The Empress hissed.

"I warned you. You did this." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out some of the Christmas tree decorations that had reined havoc on the wedding party.

When the Empress realized what he was holding, she cried out. "No! No! Don't! No!"

His face remained impassive as he used the remote to maneuver the ornaments and detonate them at the areas of his choosing. Several of the baubles blew a hole in the wall of the corridor which breeched the outer damn to the Thames River, and the lab began to flood. Wave after wave of water poured down into the hole, drowning out the screams of the Empress's offspring. The remaining ornaments caused a massive fire to break out throughout the room.

"What is he doing?" Donna cried out over the roaring sound of the rushing water.

Rose watched him as he stood on the landing, unmoving and illuminated by the firelight as the water rained down over him. His face showed a mixture of desperation and hate, but above all else, it reflected defeat. She had never seen that look on his face before, and she never wanted to see it again. "He's gonna kill himself." She stammered.

"Oh god," Donna murmured. "He thinks you're dead."

"We have to stop him." Rose said as they got to their feet.

Donna ran over towards the wall right below him, while Rose made her way up the stairs to the landing where he stood.

"No! No! My children!" The Empress continued to cry out in anguish.

"Doctor!" Donna yelled. "You can stop now!"

He glanced down at the red head, barely registering what she was saying and not really caring either when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Spinning around, his eyes widened in shock to see Rose standing before him soaked and shivering.

"Doctor, you have to stop." She said softly.

"Rose," he breathed out as the remote went clattering to the floor. He immediately pulled her into his arms, hugging and kissing her fiercely as they sank down onto the ground. He pulled back for a moment, and pushed the damp locks from her face, looking into her eyes. "I thought," his voice broke. "Oh, Rose I thought…"

"Shh." She placed her fingers to his lips. "S' okay. M' okay."

He wrapped his arms around her once more and held her tight as the water continued to fall upon them. Donna had just made it up to the landing where they sat, when a bright blue light filled the room, signaling that the Empress had teleported back to her ship.

"We need to go." Donna said breathing heavily.

The Doctor nodded and stood up.

"But what about the Empress?" Rose asked.

"She's used up all her Huon energy." He said, pulling her to her feet. "She's defenseless!"

The trio quickly made their way up the stairs and into the corridor before the entire room flooded. Leading them back to the restricted door he had been investigating earlier, they bypassed the hatch and climbed out onto the roof just in time to see an army tank fire two missiles into the heart of the Racnoss ship. The massive explosion lit up the night sky as pieces of the decimated craft rained down over Canary Wharf.

"We made it." Rose said, wrapping her arms around The Doctor's waist as he pulled her towards him.

"Yeah, Donna agreed. "There's just one problem."

The Doctor pulled his attention from Rose for a moment to look up at their new friend. "What's that?"

"We've drained the Thames." She laughed, gesturing behind her with her thumb.

**-oOo-**

Figuring that Donna's family had been through enough for one day and not wanting to freak them out by materializing a big blue box in the middle of their yard, The Doctor instead set the TARDIS down across the street from her parents' house.

"There we go." He patted the doorframe as the trio clambered out into the street. "Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything."

"More than I've done." Donna muttered.

"That's not true." Rose said, placing a hand on the red head's shoulder. "You were brilliant back there."

Donna gave her a soft smile as The Doctor performed a quick scan of her with his sonic.

"All the Huon particles have gone." He confirmed. "No damage, you're fine."

"Yeah, but apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."

The Doctor tugged lightly on his ear and looked away uncomfortably. "I couldn't save him."

"He deserved it." She bit out, but as she caught Rose's expression, her face softened. "No, he didn't." She sighed as she glanced over her shoulder, watching her parents set the table through the window. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."

"Best Christmas present they could have." The Doctor remarked and then frowned. "Oh no, I forgot you hate Christmas."

"Yes, I do."

A slow smile spread across his face. "Even if it snows?"

Rose grinned knowingly as she watched him walk over to the TARDIS and reach up behind the doorframe. The lamp on the roof glowed brightly and fired an energy bolt into the sky, creating a slight firework effect, and within seconds large fluffy snowflakes were floating down upon them.

"How did you do that?" Donna asked in astonishment.

"Oh," he shrugged. "Basic atmospheric excitation."

"Much better than the snow we had last Christmas." Rose remembered as he put his arm around her. "So, what you gonna do now?" she asked looking back at Donna.

"Not getting married, for starters. And I'm not going to temp anymore. I dunno. Travel; see a bit more of planet Earth. Walk in the dust. Just go out there and do somethin'."

Rose looked up at The Doctor, batting her eyelashes and giving him a disarming smile.

He sighed inwardly knowing there was no way he could tell her no and turned back to Donna. "Weell," he said, rubbing his neck. "You could always come with us." Rose grinned again and gave an enthusiastic nod.

"No."

"Okay." The Doctor shrugged and turned to head back into the TARDIS, pulling Rose along with him.

"Doctor," Rose chided, lightly smacking him on the arm and turned back to Donna. "Are you sure? There's plenty of room and we'd love to have ya, even if this one doesn't act like it." She said gesturing to The Doctor.

Donna shook her head. "I can't."

"S' okay," Rose nodded. "We understand."

"No, but really. Everything we did today. Do you guys live your life like that?"

"Not all the time." The Doctor glanced over at Rose who was giving him a look. "Weell, maybe quite a bit of the time." Rose crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Fine," he conceded. "All the time." He turned his focus back to Donna. "But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful."

"And it's terrible. And when Rose almost…" seeing the flash of anger that sparked in his eyes, she quickly abandoned the rest of the sentence. Taking a breath, she continued. "That place was flooding and burning and they were dying, and you were stood there like, I don't know, a stranger. And then you made it snow." She gestured to the sky. "I mean, you scare me to death."

"Right." He sniffed and looked away.

Donna watched The Doctor for a moment and could tell that her words had upset him. Wanting to make amends, considering how much they had done for her she decided to extend an olive branch. "Tell you what I will do, though. Christmas dinner." She motioned for them to follow her. "Oh, come on. Mum always cooks enough for twenty."

"Thank you, but we can't." Rose said. "We're actually havin' Christmas dinner at my parents new house this year."

"Ok then."

"We'd better go." The Doctor said turning back towards the TARDIS.

"Yeah," she said giving his hand a squeeze. "Jus' give me a mo'." He nodded and gave her a quick kiss.

"Merry Christmas, Doctor." Donna called.

"And you." He replied before stepping into the timeship.

"Are you sure you won't change your mind?" Rose asked one last time.

"Yeah, I'm sure." The red head nodded. "I'll tell you what though. When that scrawny alien of yours finally pulls his head out of his arse and proposes, I better get a call."

Rose laughed. "M' not sure that's somethin' that'll ever happen."

"It better or I owe him another slap." She said. "Alien or not, you're carryin' his baby and I know he loves you from the way he kept making goo-goo eyes at you all day. If it's a simple fear of commitment, I can have him straightened out right away."

Rose laughed again. "No, S' nothing like that." She stared at the red head for a moment longer before leaning in to give her a hug. "Merry Christmas, Donna."

"Merry Christmas, Rose." Donna said, returning the hug.

Pulling back the two women smiled at one another once more and then with a small wave, Donna turned and headed towards her parents' house.

Rose waited until Donna was inside before turning and heading back to the TARDIS.

"Think she'll be okay?" she asked as she closed the doors behind her and leaned up against them.

The Doctor looked up from the console as he flipped the dematerialization lever. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

"I promised to keep in touch." She ran her hand along the railing as she walked up the ramp.

Meeting her halfway, The Doctor pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her nose with his. "Picking up strays again are we?"

"I liked her, and I think you did too."

"Yeah, I kinda did." He admitted. "It's just…"

"What, Doctor." She looked up into his eyes.

"Is it really so bad that I want you all to myself right now?"

"No, I guess not." she said, giving him her signature smile and winding her arms around his neck to bring him in for a kiss.

"Speaking of having you all to myself, I believe we still have some making up to do." He whispered seductively.

"What about dinner?" she giggled.

"Oh we'll be there in plenty of time for that." He assured her. "But for now, I think I'd rather start with desert."

**-oOo-**

The Tyler's new home was located in the town of Pernath; just ten minutes out of Cardiff, allowing an easy commute to Torchwood for Pete. Knowing that there was no way Jackie would allow the TARDIS in the new place, The Doctor set her down in the back garden so as also not to startle the neighbors.

"I feel like we should have brought somethin'." Rose said as she rang the doorbell.

"Like what?"

"I dunno, jus' somethin."

The front door opened and Mickey stood in the doorway with a big grin on his face, holding a beer. "'Bout time you two got here." he said, pulling Rose in for a hug before stepping aside so they could enter.

"Well, you know the Doc," Jack chimed in as he joined them in the entry way. "Always likes to make an entrance." he laughed as he leaned in to give Rose a hug as well. Pulling back he handed The Doctor a beer.

The Time Lord looked down at the bottle and rolled his eyes. "Really Jack?"

The Captain grinned and pulled him into a 'manly hug'. "Technically, I did buy them so it counts." he said making Rose double over in laughter.

Pulling back, The Doctor shook his head as he tried to conceal a smile and then turned to Mickey for their customary fist bump.

"Your mum's in the kitchen." Mickey informed Rose as The Doctor hung up their coats.

Looking around, it seemed as though they had pretty much settled in to their new place. It definitely had a touch of Jackie's decor about it. The house was quite spacious in itself. As you walked in there was a staircase leading up to the second floor where all four bedrooms were located. Towards the left of the staircase was a small sitting room, with the dining area right behind it. A little further into the house there was a small bathroom on the stairs side wall with a hall closet opposite it, and at the end of the house was a very large kitchen with an island in the middle and an archway that led into the living room.

He began to calculate in his head how much time had passed since Canary Wharf, with it now being Christmas, and while it had only been about a day for he and Rose, it ended up being about three months' time for them. Well, that would definitely give her parents enough time to settle in he thought.

"Alright, out with it." Jack said, disrupting his mental tour of the house. "What kind of mess did you leave for me to clean up this time?'

"Mess?" he sputtered. "I don't leave messes. I'll have you know…"

"He drained the Thames, blew up the secret basement and killed a horde of flesh eatin' alien spiders." Rose interjected.

"Okay, now that's impressive." Mickey said, pointing his beer towards The Doctor before taking a sip.

"Eh, ok. That's not so bad." Jack conceded. "I was planning on closing the place anyway. Now the mess from the ship Saxon had destroyed, that's going to be a bitch."

"Who's he again?" Rose asked.

"New Minister of Defense. If you ask me, he's a complete asshole."

"Here, here." Mickey chimed in.

The Doctor drifted out of the conversation as the familiar smells of Christmas dinner began to fill the room. Leaving Rose to catch up with their friends, he made his way back to the kitchen where Pete was standing at the island and carving a rather large Turkey while Jackie was removing several side dishes from the oven.

"Need any help?" he asked as he strolled towards them with his hands resting behind his back.

Jackie raised an eyebrow. "Not if it involves you upgradin' my appliances."

He nodded dejectedly, knowing he wasn't going to start an argument after the day they had, even if his upgrades were very practical in helping things get done in a quicker timeframe. Reaching down, he went to pluck a piece of turkey from the serving platter.

"Oi!" Jackie said, batting his hands away. Walking over to the fridge, she opened the door and pulled out a jar of orange marmalade, handing it to The Doctor.

Grinning happily, he leaned up against the counter and began to unscrew the lid as Rose came into the kitchen followed by Jack and Mickey.

"I knew the party had moved in here." Jack said. "Doesn't matter where you go, everyone always winds up in the kitchen."

"S' 'cause that's where the food is." Rose laughed as she reached into the cutlery drawer and handed The Doctor a spoon. Wiping his hands on a napkin, he took the spoon, grinning sheepishly and leaned in to give her a kiss.

"Aww," Jack gushed. "You two are so adorable."

"Oh, shut up." The Doctor said, throwing a roll at him.

He caught it midair and took a bite. "Thanks." He mumbled; mouth full.

"I'm surprised you didn't just catch it with your mouth," Mickey observed. "It's big enough."

"Hey!" Jack said, throwing the remainder of the roll at Mickey.

**-oOo-**

The Dinner had been wonderful, and even after everyone had had their fill, they all remained in the dining room, laughing and talking, not really wanting the night to end.

The Doctor looked around the table at his…dare he think it, family?" Rose and Jackie were in the midst of popping open a cracker, while Pete, Jack and Mickey argued over some sporting match. Family, he thought again and felt a wave of warmth pass through him. Family, he quite liked the sound of that. _His_ family. It had been oh, such a long time since he had anything that remotely resembled a family and now…"

"You okay?" Rose asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

He looked up to see her warm hazel eyes filled with slight concern as she stared back at him. He smiled and reached out for the pink crown she held in her hands, and placed it upon her head before pulling her in for a soft kiss. "I'm perfect." he assured her, wrapping his arms around her as she laid her head against his chest. _'Maybe,'_ he thought. _'Just maybe, a little domesticity wasn't so bad after all.'_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: As always, feedback is appreciated. See you all again next week.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: First off, I want to thank everyone again for the lovely reviews. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy. I also hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.**

**Now, I know there's a lot of people out there who didn't really car for Martha, and I admit I wasn't too fond of her character when I first started watching her episodes either. Of course I knew I would slightly be biased towards anyone taking Rose's place, but I mainly blame the writers for making me dislike her. Granted, who wouldn't fall for David Tennant's Doctor; but the way she acted, pushing for him to notice her in that way when she could tell he still loved Rose, just made her character seem weak and whiney. It wasn't until later on when I started reading some of the AU fan fictions, where she finally started to grow on me. And she really came into her own in the show when she started to work for unit and then Jack and finally wound up with Mickey. (I loved that pairing by the way. They were so cute together.) Anyway, I'll just finish my point so you lot can get to the story, unless you've already skipped over this which would make it moot…which is fine…but I'll just finish with this, I think her character would have been better without all the pouting over his ignorance to her crush and instead focusing on how strong-willed and bright she really was, which is what I'm hoping to portray throughout my story. Okay that's it. That's all I wanted to say. Enjoy the new chapter.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 12 – Calling Doctor Jones<strong>

"Tell me again why M' not the one pretendin' to be sick." Rose said as she dragged the small plastic chair over to The Doctor's bedside and sat down.

He finished raising the head of the bed to a comfortable level before turning his head to give her a pointed look. "Because we really don't need these people asking questions about the specifics of your condition, which would happen if they were able to run any sort of tests on you."

"Still wouldn't mind gettin' an ultrasound." she said, stroking her stomach.

"We will. As soon as I get the replacement part I need for the sonogram."

"Yeah, and how's that workin' out again?"

"I told you, Tralonian crystals are extremely rare, and it's not like I ever thought I'd have use for the thing. And you keep turning down my offer to go back to New Earth hospital." Rose shuddered and crossed her arms. "You know you'll have to go there when the baby's born."

"I know." she cut him off. "M' jus' not ready yet." she glanced back up at him. "Bad memories an' all."

He reached out and took his hand in hers squeezing gently. "I'm sorry. I know what that wasn't a pleasant experience."

She nodded, squeezing his hand in return and then furrowed her brows as though something had just occurred to her. "Speakin' of tests, what happens if they need to take your blood or an x-ray or somethin'?"

Don't worry," he assured her. "I won't let it get that far."

The sound of the curtain being pushed back immediately interrupted their discussion.

An older gentleman wearing a suit and tie stepped forward, flanked by six medical students in white lab coats. "Hello there, I'm Dr. Stoker and a very good morning to you Mister and Mrs. Smith. The two nodded in reply. "And how are you today?" he asked The Doctor, picking up the chart hanging on the front of the bed.

"Oh, not so bad. Still a bit, you know, blah." he replied, sticking out his tongue.

"John Smith, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains." Dr. Stoker informed the students. "Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me."

The pretty, young, black woman standing next to him smiled and nodded, removing her stethoscope. "That wasn't very clever, running around outside, was it?

The Doctor scrunched up his face in confusion. "Sorry?

"On Chancellor Street this morning? The two of you came up to me. She was eating chips and asked me for the time," she said gesturing to Rose. "And you took your tie off."

"Really? What did I do that for?"

The young medical student shook her head. "I don't know, you just did."

"Not me. I was here, in bed and she hasn't left my side. Ask the nurses."

"Well, that's weird," the young woman glanced between the pair. "'Cause they looked like you."

"Hmm," The Doctor paused in thought. "Maybe they were alien doppelgangers." he said, earning a snicker from Rose.

Dr. Stoker sighed. "As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones."

"Sorry. Right." the young woman returned to her examination, placing her stethoscope against The Doctor's chest, and her eyes suddenly widened.

He quickly glanced over to Rose who was giving him a worried look, and he squeezed her hand again to reassure her. When he looked back at the medical student, she was moving the stethoscope to the other side of his chest to confirm her suspicions about what she had heard and he gave her a little wink.

"I weep for future generations." Dr. Stoker said as he grew impatient. "Are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?"

"Um, I don't know." she laughed uncomfortably. "Stomach cramps?"

"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis. And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart." He went to wave the item in question in front of her, but when he brushed his thumb against the metal clip, it gave off a high charge of static electricity, causing him to drop it onto the bed.

"That happened to me this morning." Miss Jones said.

"I had the same thing on the door handle." One of the students next to her chimed in.

"And me, on the lift." added another.

"That's only to be expected." Dr. Stoker replied. "There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by…Anyone?"

"Benjamin Franklin." The Doctor stated without hesitation.

"Correct."

"My mate, Ben." The Doctor said fondly. "That was a day and a half. I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked."

"Quite." Dr. Stoker chuckled uncomfortably.

"And then I got electrocuted." he finished with a grin. The sound of a throat clearing turned his attention to Rose who was looking at him incredulously and discretely shaking her head no.

"Moving on." Dr. Stoker gestured to his students. "I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric would be in order." he said to an orderly in passing.

The young medical student glanced back over her shoulder to see the couple speaking in hushed tones and when they saw her looking they smiled and waved. She returned it and then shook her head as she followed after her colleagues.

Pulling the curtain back around them, Rose smacked The Doctor lightly on the arm.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"How are we supposed to figure out what's goin' on with those plasma coils you saw outside if your sittin' in a mental ward!" she chided.

"You know you're cute when you get angry."

"Stop it. M' bein' serious."

"So am I. You are absolutely gorgeous." he said, reaching out and pulling her closer.

"Stop it." she pushed against his chest half-heartedly. "M' tryin' to be upset with you."

"Mmm, and you're doing a very good job of it too." he leaned in and captured her lips with his.

After a few seconds, she broke away with a giggle. "You can be such a pain in the arse sometimes, you know that?"

"Yep." he said popping the 'p' and nuzzling her nose with his.

"Alright, so tell me about these plasma coils. What are they for?"

"Haven't' the foggiest." he said rubbing the back of his neck. "But the fact that they've been building up for two days could spell all kinds of trouble."

"Excuse me?" The pair turned to see the young medical student who had examined him poking her head through the curtain. "Sorry to interrupt." she smiled timidly. "I just thought maybe your wife would like something more comfortable to sit in." she said as she wheeled in a cushiony rolling chair.

"Thanks, that's very nice of you." Rose said, as the young woman moved it next to the bed and motioned for her to sit down.

"So how far along are you?"

"A little over three months now." Rose replied, stroking her stomach. "M' sorry, what was your name again?"

"Martha," she smiled. "Martha Jones."

"Nice to meet you Martha." The Doctor chimed in. "And thank you again." he gestured to the chair.

"Not a problem. If you guy need anything else…" she drifted off as frantic voices within the room drew her attention. With a smile, she quickly excused herself to go and find out what was causing the commotion.

The Doctor and Rose exchanged a knowing look before getting up and slightly pulling back the curtain for a glimpse of the situation.

"All right now, everyone back to bed." Martha was directing the patients. "We've got an emergency but we'll sort it out. Don't worry." As she made her way across the room to the window, she gasped in surprise at the sight before her. "It's real. It's really real." she told another medical student who had just joined her. Looking out, they could see the rocky terrain of the moon laid out before them and there in the far off distance surrounded by a blanket of stars was the Earth.

"What do you think?" The Doctor asked turning to look at Rose.

After a quick sweep over his body, she turned her eyes back to the window. "I think you should put on some pants."

"Right." he replied with a sheepish grin. He grabbed his blue suit out of the makeshift closet next to the bed and quickly got dressed.

Pulling back the curtain, they could see Martha was having a slight disagreement with the other woman in regards to whether or not they should open the window.

"They're not exactly air tight." Martha argued. "If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?"

"Very good point." The Doctor piped up, turning their attention towards him and Rose. "Brilliant, in fact. But the question is, how are we still breathing?"

"We can't be." The other medical student whimpered.

"Obviously we are, so don't waste my time." he replied shortly.

"Doctor, she's jus' scared." Rose put her arm around the young woman as she began to cry.

"I…I'm sorry." he said tugging lightly on his ear. "We'll figure this out ok?" The young woman nodded, drying her eyes on her sleeve. "Alright Martha," he said turning his attention back to the other woman. "What have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda maybe?"

"By the patients' lounge, yeah." she confirmed.

The Doctor looked back at Rose. "Fancy going out?"

"Thought you'd never ask." she grinned.

"Can I come along?" Martha asked looking between the pair.

"We might die." The Doctor said ominously.

Martha raised her eyebrows. "We might not."

The Doctor and Rose grinned at one another as he gestured to the door. "After you, Miss Jones."

Martha led them down the hall to the patients' lounge where there was a set of double doors leading out to a small balcony. As they stepped out they all took a deep breath and then exhaled with a small laugh.

"We've got air." Martha said. "How does that work?"

"Just be glad it does." The Doctor replied as he approached the ledge.

"I've got a party tonight. It's my brother's twenty first. My mother's going to be really, really…" Martha drifted off with a slight shudder.

"You okay?" Rose asked.

"Yeah. I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same, it's beautiful."

Rose smiled at the young woman's exuberance. There was definitely something about her. It was the same sort of feeling she got when they met Donna. She couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but something inside told her this girl was important to their future.

"Really though," Martha continued. "How many people want to go to the moon? And here we are."

"Standing in the Earthlight." The Doctor added.

"What do you think happened?" Martha asked Rose.

"M' not sure." Rose tilted her head as she looked back at her. "What do you think?"

"Extraterrestrial." Martha replied firmly. "It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded mad, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben, Christmas, those Cybermen things." Rose and The Doctor shared a knowing smile as she continued. "I had a cousin. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf." she paused, taking a deep breath. "She never came home."

"M' sorry." Rose said softly.

"Yeah."

"We were there too, in the battle." The Doctor said in a low voice as he pulled Rose against him.

Even though he had made it through that fateful day without losing her, the thought of it still haunted him and Rose being able to read him so well wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest, allowing him to just hold her.

"I promise you, Mister and Mrs. Smith, we will find a way out." Martha continued. "If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way."

"It's not Smith." The Doctor told her. "That's not our real names."

"Who are you then?"

"I'm the Doctor and this is Rose Tyler."

"Hello." Rose said with a little wave.

"So it's what, Doctor Tyler?"

Rose giggled as The Doctor shook his head. "Nope. Just the Doctor."

"How do you mean, just the Doctor?"

"Just the Doctor." he repeated.

"What, people call you the Doctor?"

"Yep." The pair confirmed together.

"Alright then Doctor it is. So tell me Doctor, how is it that we still have air when we're sitting on the moon."

"Well, let's have a look shall we?" Letting go of Rose, he bent down to pick up a pebble. "There must be some sort of force field keeping the air in." He confirmed his suspicion by throwing the small rock over the balcony where it hit an invisible barrier and bounced back.

"But if that's like a bubble sealing us in, that means this is the only air we've got." Martha said worriedly. "What happens when it runs out?"

"How many people in this hospital?"

"I don't know." She paused in thought. "A thousand maybe."

"Oh my god." Rose murmured.

"One thousand people Suffocating." The Doctor confirmed.

Martha looked at him aghast. "Why would anyone do that?"

A rumbling sound drew their attention overhead as three large column shaped space crafts passed over the hospital and began to descend towards the surface of the moon.

"Head's up!" The Doctor called out over the noise. "You can ask them yourself."

Martha looked on in astonishment. "Aliens. That's aliens. Real, proper aliens."

Rose leaned forward slightly trying to make out the creatures as they exited the ships and began marching towards them. "What are they Doctor?"

"Judoon."

**-oOo-**

The trio made their way along the mezzanine, crouching down behind some potted plants as they watched the panic unfold in the waiting room below. The people were running and screaming as a large group of the Judoon entered the room dressed in what looked like dark black riot gear. The one that seemed to be leading them removed its helmet and Martha gasped.

"S' a rhinoceros." Rose observed looking over at The Doctor. "A giant two-horned rhinoceros."

"Yeah."

"Okay." she nodded in acceptance and turned her attention back to the situation below as the head of the Judoon addressed the room.

"Blos so folt do no cro blo cos so ro."

"What did he say?" Rose whispered, just as the rest of the Judoon raised their weapons. "Never mind." she said quickly. "I'm pretty sure I know."

Down in the waiting room, a young male doctor approached the leader. "Um, we are citizens of planet Earth. We welcome you in peace." he told them.

The Judoon Chief growled as he turned to the man and pushed him against the wall shoving some sort of device in his face.

"Please don't hurt me." The man stuttered. "I was just trying to help. I'm sorry, don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me."

"Doctor," Rose gripped his hand tightly.

"It's alright." he reassured her. "It's just a translation device." Sure enough the Judoon Chief pulled the device away from the man's face and played back the words he had just spoken before plugging it into a socket on his chest plate.

"Language assimilated." The Chief stated. "Designation Earth, English. You will be catalogued." Pulling what looked like a thick marker from his belt, the Judoon Chief scanned the young man's forehead. "Category human." he confirmed and then marked a large black 'X' on the back of the doctor's hand. "Catalogue all suspects." he ordered as his team began to move throughout the waiting room, scanning everyone in sight.

"What are they doing?" Rose asked.

"They're looking for someone." The Doctor replied, his gaze drifting towards the center of the room. "Oh, look down there Rose; they've got a little shop. I like a little shop."

"Doctor, focus."

"What exactly are the Judoon?" Martha inquired.

"They're like police." He explained. "Weell, police for hire. They're more like interplanetary thugs."

"And they brought us to the moon?"

"Neutral territory." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, so they isolated it."

"So that rain and lightning was them, yeah?" Rose asked.

"Yep." He replied popping the 'p'. "They used an H2O scoop."

Martha watched the pair in amusement. "What are you on about, galactic law? Where'd you get that from?"

"S' an ordinance of the shadow proclamation." Rose replied. At Martha's quizzical look she added "S' a sort a space court. They keep the peace between planets."

"Right." Martha nodded, still trying to wrap her head around the situation. "Ok, so if they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"

"No, but I like that. Good thinking." The Doctor smiled. "No, I wish it were that simple. They're making a catalogue. That means they're after something non-human, which is very bad news for me."

"Why?" Martha inquired. As she took in The Doctor's raised eyebrow and the worried look on Rose's face, her jaw dropped. "Oh, you're kidding me. Both of you?"

Rose shook her head. "No, jus' him and possibly…" she turned back to The Doctor. "Do you think she'd register too?" she asked running her hand over her stomach."

"I dunno. It is still quite early in your pregnancy and we're not exactly sure how much like me she is. Not until we see the sonogram anyway."

"You haven't had the ultrasound yet?" Martha interjected.

"Our machine is broken." Rose explained. "He's working on locating a replacement part."

"We can easily do one right here."

"Yeah, probably not the best time for that right now." The Doctor said grabbing Rose's hand and taking off down the hall as the Judoon began to ascend the stairs. "Come on then." he called to Martha over his shoulder.

The young woman took one last look behind her before taking off after them, the Judoon Chief's next order ringing in her ears.

"Troop five, floor one. Troop six, floor two. Identify humans and find the transgressor. Find it."

**-oOo-**

"Find anythin' yet?" Rose asked, leaning over The Doctor's shoulder as he used his sonic screwdriver to breach the computer's security systems.

Sighing, he shook his head. "There's a massive amount of files, but they all seem to be empty."

"They've reached third floor." Martha reported as she ran into the room. "Um, what's that thing?"

"S' a sonic screwdriver." Rose explained. "He's tryin' to access some of the patient records."

"Sonic screwdriver?" Martha said quizzically.

The Doctor spun around in his chair. "That's right. It's a screwdriver, and it's sonic." he said holding it up.

Martha chuckled. "What else have you got a laser spanner?"

"I did, but it was stolen by Emily Pankhurst, cheeky woman." he said spinning back around.

Rose looked back at the young woman's confused face and shrugged. "It was before my time.

Martha nodded, but only seemed to be confused even more.

"What's wrong with this computer?!" The Doctor yelled in frustration as he hit the top of it, making the two women return their attention to him. "The Judoon must have locked it down. Judoon platoon upon the moon." he poeticized, running his hands through his hair and disheveling it in a way that reminded Rose of things she should not be thinking about at this time. "Because we were just traveling past. I swear, we were just wandering." he told Martha. "We weren't looking for trouble, honestly, we weren't, but we noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning, that's a plasma coil. Been building up for two days now, so we checked in. We thought something was going on inside. It turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above."

"But what were they looking for?" Martha asked.

"Something that looks human, but isn't."

"Like you, apparently."

"Like me." he agreed. "But not me."

"Haven't they got a photo?"

"Photo's don't always work." Rose said. "Especially if S' a shape-changer."

"Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?" Martha implored them.

The Doctor turned to look at her once more, his face stern. "If they declare the hospital guilty of harboring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution."

"All of us?" Martha said in disbelief.

"Oh yes. If I can't find this thing first." The computer screen began to flash repeatedly and then suddenly filled with a bunch of alien symbols. "Oh!" The Doctor bellowed, pushing back from the monitor and startling the two women. "You see, they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick! They wiped the records. Oh, that's clever."

"Doctor, tell Martha what it is you're looking for and maybe she'll know where to start." Rose told him.

"Alright, say any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms. Or maybe if there's a back-up for all these files."

"Okay, I'll tell you what," Martha said. "You keep working. I'll go ask Mister Stoker. He might know."

"I'll go with you." Rose spoke up. Turning back to The Doctor, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Try not to break anything, yeah?" she smiled.

"No promises." he replied, returning her grin. "And be careful."

"We will." she said following Martha out the door.

**-oOo-**

"His office is just at the end of the hall." Martha told Rose as they walked along.

"So you're in training to be a Doctor?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, if I can pass my exams." Martha chuckled.

"So you enjoy it then, yeah?"

"I love it. Knowing that I'm helping people and making a difference. It's just so…rewarding."

Rose smiled widely at the young woman. "I know jus' what you mean."

The pair stopped in front of the Director's office and Martha knocked on the door. "Mr. Stoker?" When she didn't receive a response, she tried the door knob, which turned out to be unlocked and they stepped into the room. "Mr. Stoker?" she called again and then froze at the sight of a man dressed in all black leather and a motorcycle helmet standing next to a pair of legs on the floor. There was a rustling sound, and an elderly woman popped up from behind the desk, holding a straw that was dripping blood.

"Oh my god." Martha gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

"Kill them!" The old woman hissed.

"Martha look out." Rose shouted, shoving her out of the way just as a second man in black advanced from behind them. He grabbed her roughly by the neck, pushing her against the wall as she clawed at his wrist in attempts to get free.

Martha got to her feet, grabbing the chair closest to her and hit the man in the back, causing him to release Rose and stumble back slightly.

Coughing and rubbing her neck with one hand, Rose reached out and grabbed Martha's wrist with the other and pulled her out the door. As they reached the end of the hall, Rose ran straight into The Doctor's arms, almost knocking him to the floor.

"Hello." He grinned as he helped her regain her balance.

"Hello." She replied somewhat breathlessly.

"I've restored the back-up." He boasted, but his grin quickly faded when he saw the bruising on her neck. "What happened?" He asked; his voice suddenly low and dark.

"M' fine." Rose looked away, not wanting him to see how scared she had been. "There were these men. I don't think they were human."

"They were with that woman." Martha told him. "The one the Judoon are looking for. They tried to kill us."

"They what?" he growled, looking behind them as a man dressed in full motorcycle gear smashed down the door of Stoker's office. "Run!" He yelled, grabbing Rose's hand and heading down the stairs with Martha on their heels.

They had made their way down two flights when they came face to face with another group of Judoon. Spinning on his heels, the Doctor quickly diverted them down another hallway and into the Radiology ward as the man in black continued to pursue them. Reaching the end of the hall, he quickly pushed them into the x-ray department and used the sonic to secure the door behind them as the leather clad man began trying to break it down. Looking around the room he saw a lead vest and handed it to Rose.

"Put this on and get behind the radiation screen, and you," he pointed at Martha. "When I say now, press the button."

"But I don't know which one." She protested.

"Then find out!" he snapped.

"Doctor," Rose said softly, placing her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "What are you gonna do?"

"Protect you." He replied firmly as the banging on the door grew louder. "Now get behind the screen."

She stared at him for a few more seconds, poised to argue, but seeing the fury radiating in his eyes she slipped the vest over her head and joined Martha who was frantically searching through the Operator's Manual for the x-ray machine.

"I can't find anything in this damn book." Martha said, throwing the manual onto the table in frustration.

Rose chanced a quick glance out the window at The Doctor who was inserting his sonic screwdriver into the x-ray machine. "Maybe there's a button labeled start or somethin'." She suggested as she looked around the control panel.

There was a loud crack and the sound of wood splintering as the door gave way and the man entered the room ready to attack.

"Now!" The Doctor yelled, pointing the x-ray machine at the man.

"What do I do?" Martha panicked.

"Guess!" Rose responded as she kept her focus trained on The Doctor.

Martha's eyes darted around the control panel once more and then settled on a large yellow button. "Here goes nothing." She said slamming her hand down upon it."

The x-ray machine activated filling the room with a blinding white light and both women quickly shielded their eyes. After a few seconds, Martha hit the button again and they heard it shut off.

Lowering her arm and blinking to clear her vision, Rose could see The Doctor standing over the body of their leather clad pursuer. "What did you do?" she called out to him.

"Increased the radiation by five thousand per cent." He replied. "Killed him dead."

"But isn't that going to kill you?" Martha asked.

"Nah, it's only roentgen radiation. We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery."

"Yeah, well don't go gettin' any ideas about radioactive toys for our daughter Mister." Rose told him.

"Yes Ma'am." He grinned. "It's safe for you to come out by the way. I've absorbed it all."

Rose and Martha glanced at one another and then walked out into the room.

"All I need to do is expel it." He said. "If I concentrate I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot." He began hopping up and down frantically and then started shaking his left leg. "It's in my left shoe." He explained upon seeing their confused expressions. "Here we go, here we go. Easy does it. Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out."

The two women continued to watch him bounce back and forth for a few moments, and then finally Rose couldn't hold herself back any longer and burst into laughter.

"It's not funny." He pouted as he continued shaking his foot.

"M' sorry Doctor, but it really is."

Martha glanced over at Rose and gave a soft snort before she too began laughing.

"Stop it." He scolded them as continued to hop on one foot. "Ah, ah, ah, ah! It is, it is, it is, it is, it is hot. Hold on." With one last shake of his leg, he yanked his trainer off his foot and tossed it into the bin. "Done.".

"You're completely mad." Martha giggled.

"You're right. I look daft with one shoe." He said removing his other trainer and tossing it in the bin as well. "Barefoot on the moon." He said clacking his teeth together and wiggling his toes against the linoleum. The Doctor looked back at Rose, who was trying to get control over herself and wiping tears from her eyes. Walking over to her, he began helping her remove the lead vest. "You are so going to pay for that later." He told her in a low voice.

"Promise?" she teased, tongue in teeth. Seeing his eyes darken slightly, Rose decided to change the subject to something a little less provocative. "So what was that thing anyway?" she asked, gesturing to the body on the floor.

"It's just a Slab. They're called Slabs. Basic slave drones. See?" he knelt down next to the lifeless body and tapped the helmet. "Solid leather, all the way through. Someone has got one hell of a fetish."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "I remember someone else who had an affinity for leather not so long ago."

"Yes, well…" The Doctor trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.

"But it was that woman, Miss Finnegan." Martha interjected. "It was working for her, just like a servant." She told him as he stood up and walked back over to the x-ray machine to retrieve his sonic. "She was one of the patients, but she had a straw like some kind of vampire."

The Doctor at this point had been barely listening. "My sonic screwdriver." He frowned, as he pulled it from the machine. The radiation had practically dissolved his beloved tool into a twisted mass of metal. "Rose," he whined as he turned the melted object over in his hand. "My sonic screwdriver."

Rose gave him a soft smile and ruffled his hair. "We'll get you a new one."

"I loved my sonic screwdriver." he pouted.

"Doctor?" Martha said impatiently.

"Sorry." he muttered, tossing the burnt out device over his shoulder.

"Anyway?" she continued. "Miss Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mister Stoker's blood."

"With a straw." Rose added with a shudder.

"Funny time to take a snack." He remarked. "You'd think she'd be hiding. Unless…" He paused in thought. "No. Yes, that's it. Wait a minute. Yes! Shape-changer. Internal shape-changer. She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it."

"So if she can assimilate Mister Stoker's blood, and mimic his biology, she'll register as human?" Rose asked.

"Exactly." He grinned back at her proudly. "Which is why we've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!"

**-oOo-**

"There goes the other one." Rose said as the three of them watched the leather clad man walk past while they crouched down behind a water dispenser.

"That's the thing about Slabs." The Doctor said in a low voice. "They always travel in pairs."

Once the coast was clear, they left their hiding place and made their way down the opposite end of the hall.

"So the two of you see this kind of stuff a lot I take it?" Martha asked.

Rose grinned. "All the time."

Martha observed the pair for a moment and shook her head. "This is all so confusing. And I'm still not convinced you're an alien." She said, eyeing The Doctor.

As they rounded the corner, The Doctor walked right into one of the Judoon, who immediately scanned him.

"Non-human." he growled, retrieving his weapon.

Martha's mouth gaped open. "Oh my God, you really are."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "And again!" he shouted, grabbing Rose's hand and taking off down the hall as they dodged the oncoming laser beams. Once they had successfully made it up two flights of stairs, The Doctor led them through the stairwell door into another hallway. "They've done this floor." he informed them. "The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick. They won't go back to check a floor they've checked already. If we're lucky."

As they walked along, Martha noticed one of her colleagues attempting to give air to a patient while several others began slumping to the floor. "How much oxygen is there?" she asked the woman.

"Not enough for all these people. We're going to run out."

The Doctor turned to Rose with a worried look on his face. "Rose?"

She shook her head. "M' fine."

"What about you?" he looked over at Martha. "How are you feeling?"

Martha smiled up at them. "I'm running on adrenaline."

"Welcome to our world." Rose said returning her smile.

"What about the Judoon?"

"Nah," The Doctor waved her off. "Great big lung reserves. It won't slow them down. Where's Mister Stoker's office?"

Martha stood up and moved in front of him. "It's this way."

As they approached the broken office door, The Doctor defensively pushed Rose behind him.

**"**She's gone!" Martha looked around the room. "But, she was just here."

The Doctor knelt down next to Mr. Stoker's body and performed a quick examination. "Drained him dry." he observed. "Every last drop. I was right. She's a plasmavore."

"What's she doing on Earth?" Rose asked, moving to stand next to him.

"Hiding. On the run. Like Ronald Biggs in Rio de Janeiro." His brows furrowed. "What's she doing now? She's still not safe. The Judoon could execute us all." He took the hand Rose offered and was pulled to his feet. "Come on." he told them as he headed for the door.

"Wait a minute." Martha said, leaning down to close Mr. Stoker's eyes. Looking back she met Rose's gaze. The blonde gave her a soft smile and nodded towards the door.

The Doctor was standing in the hallway rubbing the back of his neck and muttering to himself as they caught up to him. "Think, think, think. If I was a plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?" he wondered aloud, his gaze drifting up to the sign on the wall that pointed towards the MRI room. "Ah. She's as clever as me." he tilted his head in nonchalance "Almost." There was a loud crash at the end of the hall as several Judoon burst through the doors sending the patients running and screaming once more.

The Doctor turned back to Rose and Martha. "You two stay here. I need time. You've got to hold them up."

"Ok, what do you want us to do?" Rose asked.

Grabbing her waist with both hands, he pulled her flush against him and crushed his lips to hers while Martha blushed and averted her eyes. Rose opened her mouth slightly in surprise and he quickly deepened the kiss, moaning softly as their tongues brushed against one another. After a few moments, he pulled back and stared into her eyes.

"I um, I'll be back as soon as I can." She nodded, still slightly dazed as his face began to inch closer to hers once more, and then suddenly as if he had been doused with cold water, he jumped away from her. "Right, just wait here and I'll um…just, just, wait here!" he told her and then took off for the MRI room.

"So," Martha cleared her throat and gave her a cheeky grin. "Any more where he came from?"

Rose blushed and shook her head. "Nope, sorry he's the last. Well, was the last." She ran a hand over her stomach.

"That's too bad. You're a lucky girl."

"Yeah." she smiled almost wistfully.

Sensing she had touched on a sensitive matter, Martha quickly changed the subject. "So, what exactly does he want us to do right now?"

"Oh, probably the usual crazy, off the wall, diversionary tactics."

Martha stared back at her in confusion. "Which means?"

Rose laughed. "He wants us to distract them."

"Great. How?"

"Not sure yet." Rose shrugged and then grinned broadly. "We usually jus' make it up as we go."

**-oOo-**

As The Doctor made his way down the empty hallway, he tried to shake himself from the effects of the heated kiss. In fact, he knew that if he hadn't snapped himself out of it, he might very well have dragged her into one of the exam rooms to have his wicked way with her, situation be damned. He scrubbed his hands over his face and then shoved them into his pockets. What was wrong with him? He had always been able to control himself around her before, but once they had gotten together properly, that self-control was waning. Oh, he knew exactly what it meant. The need to bond with her was getting stronger every day, and not only had his mind been reaching out for that connection to her and his daughter, but now his body was responding in the most primal of ways as well. Unfortunately, he still wasn't sure how Rose would react to the whole process. He remembered how she felt when he first told her about the TARDIS getting inside her head to translate alien languages. Although she had eventually grown to accept it, her earlier reactions on the subject were mixed due to her feeling that there had been an invasion of her privacy. The bond between them however would be so much more than that. He wasn't exactly sure how strong it would be due to her being human, but their connection would be permanent, and they would most likely still be able to feel one another and communicate over long distances. He also knew the emptiness that he would feel when she was gone would make his life that much more difficult, but oh how he wanted it anyway.

As he reached the door marked MRI, he noticed a bright glow coming through the narrow window pane. Without hesitation, he pushed open the door and stepped into the room, squinting at the flashing bright lights as the sound of electricity crackled around him. On the far side of the room, the woman Martha had referred to as 'Florence' was flipping switches on the control panel as the MRI machine began throwing off short electrical currents.

Steeling himself, he began to put on one of his most convincing performances. "Have you seen them? There are these things. These great big space rhino things." he said in a slightly high-pitched squeaky voice, startling the woman. "I mean, rhinos from space. And we're on the moon! Great big space rhinos with guns on the moon. And I only came in for my bunions, look." he lifted his foot up to show her. "I mean, all fixed now. Perfectly good treatment. The nurses were lovely. I said to my wife, I said I'd recommend this place to anyone, but then we end up on the moon. And did I mention the rhinos?"

Florence's eyes narrowed. "Hold him."

The Doctor turned his head just in time to see the slab step out of the shadows and grab both of his arms, pinning them behind his back. Looking back at the old woman, she gave him an evil grin and then returned to her work.

"Um, that, that big um machine thing. Is it supposed to be making that noise? he asked as he watched the woman begin adjusting the dials on the MRI.

"You wouldn't understand." she replied, waving him off.

"But isn't that a magnetic resonance imaging thing? Like a ginormous sort of a magnet?" Florence looked back at him, slightly impressed. "I did magnetics GCSE. Well, I failed, but all the same."

"The magnetic setting now increased to fifty thousand Tesla." she told him as she finalized the frequency.

"Ooo, that's a bit strong, isn't it?"

Florence turned back to look at him once more. "It'll send out a magnetic pulse that'll fry the brain stems of every living thing within two hundred and fifty thousand miles." she patted him on the shoulder on her way back over to the computer. "Except for me, safe in this room."

"But um, hold on, hold on, I did geography GCSE. I passed that one." He scrunched up his face. "Doesn't that distance include the Earth?"

"Only the side facing the moon. The other half will survive. Call it my little gift."

The Doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me, I'm a little out of my depth. I've spent the past fifteen years working as a postman. Hence the bunions. Why would you do that?

"With everyone dead, the Judoon ships will be mine, to make my escape." Florence replied gleefully.

"No, that's weird." he chuckled. "You're talking like you're some sort of an alien."

"Quite so."

"You're joshing me." he said, eyebrows raised.

"I am not."

"I'm talking to an alien? In hospital? What, has the place got an ET department?"

"It's the perfect hiding place." Florence explained. "Blood banks downstairs for a midnight feast, and all this equipment ready to arm myself with should the police come looking."

"So, those rhinos, they're looking for you?" he asked, playing up his surprised expression.

"Yes. But I'm hidden." she whispered showing him the black 'x' on the back of her hand.

"Right." he nodded. "Maybe that's why they're increasing their scans."

"They're doing what?" she replied sharply.

"Big chief rhino boy, he said, uh no sign of a non-human, we must increase our scans up to setting two?"

Florence contemplated nervously. "Then I must assimilate again."

"What does that mean?"

"I must appear to be human." she said, walking over to retrieve her purse.

"Well, you're welcome to come home and meet the wife. She'd be honored. We can have cake." he grinned.

"Why should I have cake?" she asked him coyly. "I've got my little straw."

"Oh, that's nice. Milkshake? I like banana."

"You're quite the funny man." Florence chuckled. "And yet, I think, laughing on purpose at the darkness. I think it's time you found some peace. Steady him."

The slab quickly pushed The Doctor down onto his knees, jerking his head to the side so that his neck was exposed.

"What are you doing?" he asked, trying to make his voice waver.

"I'm afraid this is going to hurt." she told him as she jammed the straw into his neck. "But if it's any consolation, the dead don't tend to remember.

**-oOo-**

"Find the non-human." The Judoon Chief ordered. "Execute."

Rose and Martha stood their ground in the middle of the hallway as patients curled themselves up against the sides of the wall in fear. Martha gave Rose a couple of sidelong glances as the Judoon approached them, but remained silent.

As they ran the scanner over Martha, Rose spoke up. "That's not necessary. We know who you're looking for, and we can help."

Martha nodded in agreement. "She's this woman. She calls herself Florence and we can take you to her."

"Human." The Judoon stated, marking a cross on Martha's hand and moving on to scan Rose. The blonde rolled her eyes, but remained stationary as they passed the device over her.

"Human." He stated again. "Wait. Non-human traits suspected. Non-human element confirmed. Authorize full scan." He backed her into the wall. "What are you? What are you?"

"Hey!" Martha protested. "Be careful with her, she's pregnant."

"S' okay Martha." Rose told her as the Chief began to scan her once more.

After a few seconds, the device beeped and he released her. "Confirm human. Traces of facial contact with non-human. Continue the search." He took Rose's hand, marking it with a black 'x' as well and then handed her a small plastic card with alien writing. "You will need this."

"What for?" Rose asked, looking down at the item.

"Compensation."

The two women shared a confused look and followed the Judoon troops down the hall to the MRI room. As they entered, the slab dropped The Doctor unceremoniously to the floor and Florence backed away from him, trying to hide the straw in her hand.

"Now see what you've done." she told them accusingly. "This poor man just died of fright."

"Scan him." The Chief ordered.

One of the officers stepped forward and ran a device over The Doctor's body. "Confirmation. Deceased."

"No!" Rose cried out as she pushed through the rest of the troops. Sinking to her knees, she reached out and cupped his cheek. "Doctor?" she whimpered. "Doctor, you can't do this. You have to wake up now. Please wake up."

Martha knelt down next to her and placed her fingers against The Doctor's neck to check for a pulse. After a few seconds she hung her head. "Oh, Rose, I'm so sorry." She whispered, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"No, you don't understand. 'Cause he's not dead. He's not." Rose pulled his head into her lap and began running her fingers through his hair as she watched for the telltale signs of regeneration. She knew that she would always love him no matter what form he was in, but selfishly she wasn't ready to give this version of him up yet either.

"The case is closed." The Judoon Chief stated.

"But it was her." Martha pointed at Florence angrily. "She killed him. She did it. She murdered him."

"Judoon have no authority over human crime."

"But she's not human. Martha protested.

"Oh, but I am." Florence smirked, holding up her hand to show off the black 'x'. "I've been catalogued."

Rose had faintly registered parts of the ongoing conversation, but when Florence mentioned having been catalogued; she looked down at The Doctor's neck and came to a realization. "Martha, she drank his blood."

Within seconds, Martha made the connection as well. "You drank his blood?" she told the old woman. "The Doctor's blood?" Grabbing the scanner from the Chief, she pointed it at Florence.

"Oh, I don't mind." The woman waved her off. "Scan all you like."

"Non-human." said one of the officers.

"But...what?" Florence said, confused. "It's a mistake, surely. I'm human. I'm as human as they come."

"He gave his life so they'd find you!" Martha spat at the woman.

"He's not dead!" Rose shouted through her tears making Martha wince.

The Judoon Chief reviewed the readings on the scanner. "Confirm. Plasmavore, charged with the crime of murdering the child princess of Patrival Regency Nine."

"Well, she deserved it!" Florence hissed. "Those pink cheeks and those blonde curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore."

"Then you confess?"

"Confess?" she scoffed. "I'm proud of it! Slab, stop them!"

The leather clad man made it about two steps before the Judoon officers pulled their weapons and reduced him to ash.

"Verdict, guilty. Sentence, execution." The Chief ordered, pulling his own weapon.

Florence immediately panicked and in one last ditch attempt to escape, she ran over to the MRI machine and attached a large cable that began to cause the circuit to overload.

"Enjoy your victory, Judoon" She grinned wickedly. "Because you're going to burn with me. Burn in hell!" she screamed as the Judoon opened fire, frying her until there was nothing left.

"Case closed." The Judoon Chief said.

"But what did she mean, burn with me?" Martha asked him as she watched the machine in the corner begin to shake and shoot off sparks. "The scanner shouldn't be doing that. She's done something."

"Scans detect lethal acceleration of mono-magnetic pulse." he said after running his device over the MRI.

"Can't you do something?" Rose pleaded. "Can't you stop it?"

"Our jurisdiction has ended. Judoon will evacuate." he lifted up his communicator and activated it as he turned to leave the room. "All units withdraw."

"You can't go!" Martha yelled, chasing them out into the hall. "That thing's going to explode and it's your fault!"

"There's got to be a way to shut it off." Rose told herself aloud as she angrily wiped the tears from her face and looked back down at The Doctor. "And you, you're not doin' this to me again." She said with determination. "You're not usin' up another regeneration. Not in my lifetime." Pulling herself onto her knees, she began to give him CPR; alternating on both sides of his chest after every breath she exhaled into his lungs. "Martha, I need your help." She called out as the young woman reentered the room.

"Tell me what to do." she said kneeling down on the opposite side of The Doctor."

"Two hearts." Rose explained. "We're gonna alternate. M' gonna go first and then when I give him a breath, you start compressions on the other one."

Martha nodded, and they set into a rhythm. After a few minutes, Rose was wheezing heavily, but refused to stop.

Martha observed her worriedly, as she felt her own lungs beginning to struggle. "Rose, you're running out of air."

"I don't care." Rose shook her head to clear the spots dancing in front of her eyes. "Have to keep goin'…" with one last deep breath into The Doctor's mouth, Rose collapsed against his chest.

"Rose!" Martha cried out as The Doctor began coughing roughly and slowly opened his eyes.

"Rose?" he said softly to the mass of blonde hair in front of his face. When she didn't respond, he sat up fully, pulling her into his arms. "Rose? What happened?" he directed his question to Martha.

"She was giving you CPR." She panted. "Tried to get her to stop, but she refused."

The electrical currents from the MRI in the corner began to intensify, shooting short bolts of energy throughout the room.

"The scanner." Martha continued, trying to hold onto what little air that remained. That woman, she did something."

The Doctor lowered Rose's head gently to the ground, and began crawling towards the machine. Once he got close enough to the control panel he reached into his pocket for his sonic screwdriver and then threw his head back in frustration when he remembered that it had been destroyed earlier after absorbing all that radiation. "Sod it!" he growled yanking apart several of the cables until the MRI completely shut off. After a second coughing fit, he pulled himself up, using the control panel as leverage, and then walked over and offered Martha a hand up. She was still wheezing as she got to her feet and leaned back against the wall as The Doctor bent down and lifted Rose into his arms.

"Where are we going?" Martha asked as they exited the room and made their way down the hall, which was now filled with unconscious staff members and patients.

"The Judoon are leaving, which means they should reverse the scoop." He replied, breathing heavily. So much for a respiratory bypass he thought.

As they reached the main hospital ward, The Doctor approached the window, with Rose still cradled in his arms. "Come on, come on, come on, come on, please." He whispered as he watched the Judoon prepare for liftoff. "Come on, Judoon, reverse it." As the ships began to take flight, the rain began to pour down once again and he smiled. "It's raining, Martha." He said, looking over at the young woman. "It's raining on the moon."

There was a loud crash of thunder, followed by a blinding white light and then suddenly they were staring out at London once more.

"We're back." Martha said in disbelief as she took several deep breaths of fresh air. Looking over her shoulder, she saw The Doctor had laid Rose down on one of the cots and was now trying to administer CPR to her.

"Here!" Martha shouted, as she quickly grabbed an O2 tank and oxygen mask and placed it over Rose's nose and mouth.

"Breathe Rose." He brushed the hair back from her face. "Come on love, breathe."

Within seconds, Rose's chest began to rise and fall in a gentle motion and her eyes flickered open. "Doctor?" she whispered.

"I'm here." He said, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead.

"We should probably put her on a monitor." Martha said. "Make sure the baby's okay and that there are no complications from the oxygen deprivation."

The Doctor shook his head. "I need to get her home. I can monitor her better there."

"And I say we should run some tests to make sure she's stable first." Martha said, crossing her arms and giving him a stern look.

"She can't stay here. The baby's origin would raise too many questions."

"Fine." she conceded. "But if she has any trouble with her breathing later on, I want you to bring her straight back here." She held her hand up as he started to protest. "I'll take care of her personally so there won't be any questions."

He studied the young woman for a moment and then smiled. "Thank you." He said as he moved to help Rose stand up.

Martha nodded and gave a little wave to Rose, who returned it as she wrapped her arm around The Doctor's waist and allowed him to lead her out.

The young medical student watched them leave somewhat reluctantly. Although everything about the day had been enough to drive any normal person completely insane, she felt quite exhilarated and even though she still didn't really know who they were, deep down, she hoped they'd meet again. Smiling to herself she returned to the ward to check on her patients.

**-oOo-**

The first thing The Doctor did when they got back to the TARDIS was to take Rose to the med bay. He fitted her with an oxygen mask and used the dermal regenerator to heal the bruising around her neck.

"Rose, what you did back there was extremely risky." The Doctor told her, unhooking the respirator once he was satisfied that her tests showed the brief lack of oxygen had no lingering effects.

"M' not gonna have this fight with you again." she replied as she slid off the exam table and turned to put on her shoes. "You were dyin' and I wasn't gonna let it happen again, so you can jus' take your argument and shove it up your..."

As she turned around, her breath caught as she found herself face to face with him. Only it wasn't anger that she found in his warm brown eyes as they searched her face. It was a look of awe and complete adoration. And then his lips were on hers and her hands were in his hair, and as he lifted her up to sit on the edge of the exam table, she realized they were still in the med bay. But just as she started to mention that particular fact to him, he started doing something particularly amazing with his hands and tongue and she found she no longer cared.

**-oOo-**

"You sure about this?" The Doctor asked as they peered around the corner at the family having a row in the middle of the street.

"She helped save your life." Rose nudged him with her hip. "S' the least we could do. Besides," she said as they watched Martha put her head in her hands while her parents screamed at one another. "It looks like she could do with a short vacation."

"Fine, one trip. But that's it."

Rose turned to look at him. "Is it really that important to you for us to have uninterrupted sex in the console room that you don't want anyone else in the TARDIS?"

"That's not…" he began as she raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, that's not the only reason. Annnd, she's seen us." he said nodding towards the other side of the street and Rose followed his gaze.

Martha looked back at them in surprise, and then a small smile graced her features.

Rose grinned back and waved her over before she and The Doctor slipped back around the corner.

With one last look at her family; who were too wrapped up in themselves to notice she was no longer with them, she jogged across the street to where The Doctor and Rose had been standing. Rounding the corner of the building, she saw them leaning against a large blue box.

"Fancy meeting you two here." she told them as she approached.

"Weell, we were in the neighborhood." The Doctor replied unconvincingly. "Rose wanted chips."

"What? No I…Okay, see now that you said that, you really will have to get me some."

Martha shook her head at the pair and laughed. "I still can't believe we went to the moon today."

The Doctor snorted as he thought of the domestic dispute they had just witnessed. "A bit more peaceful than down here."

"Behave." Rose elbowed him lightly. "Now go on, ask her."

"Alright." he huffed. "We were thinking that since you helped save our lives and all, you might fancy a trip. I've even got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing." he beamed, holding it up for show.

Martha grinned excitedly. "What, into space?"

"Weell." he shrugged.

She pondered for a moment, but then her smile faltered. "I can't. I've got exams. I've got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad." she gestured over her shoulder.

"If it helps, she can travel in time as well." Rose said, patting the outside of the box.

"Get out of here."

"She can." The Doctor insisted. "I'll prove it."

"Jus' wait here." Rose winked as they both stepped into the box.

A loud wheezing sound filled the air and the box disappeared. Martha reached out and waved her hand in the area in which it had been, but she immediately stumbled backwards as she heard the sound again and the box reappeared before her.

The door opened and The Doctor stepped out holding up his tie, with Rose following behind him and eating a bag of chips. "Told you." he said, snagging a chip from Rose and popping it in his mouth.

Martha shook her head. "No, but, that was this morning. Did you? Oh, my God. You can travel in time. But hold on." she paused and furrowed her brows. "If you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go in to work?"

"Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden." The Doctor explained as Rose helped him adjust his tie. "Except for cheap tricks."

"And that's your spaceship?" Martha nodded towards the blue box.

"It's called the TARDIS. Time and Relative Dimension in Space."

The young woman moved closer, running a hand along the outer wall. "Your spaceship's made of wood. There's not much room. What with the two of you already taking up residence."

The Doctor grinned again and pushed open the door. "Take a look."

Stepping into the box Martha's jaw dropped. "No, no, no." she said running back out the door and looking around the side as The Doctor and Rose watched in amusement. "But it's just a box. But it's huge. How does it do that? It's wood. It's like a box with that room just rammed in." The Doctor and Rose grinned at one another as they both simultaneously mouthed Martha's next words. "It's bigger on the inside."

"Is it?" The Doctor asked in mock surprise. "I hadn't noticed." Shutting the door, he headed over to the console. "Right then, let's get going."

"But is there a crew, like a navigator and stuff?" she asked as she continued to look around the room. "Where is everyone?"

"No crew. Just us." The Doctor told her, putting an arm around Rose's waist.

"Really?"

"Well, sometimes we have guests. I mean some friends, traveling alongside." he said.

Rose nodded and began ticking off names on her fingers. "Jack, Mickey, Donna, my parents."

"That idiot with the door in his head." The Doctor muttered.

"For the last time, I was never attracted to Adam. I was just tryin' to be nice because he helped us. I didn't know he was goin' to turn out to be a greedy, stupid, git and S' not like you couldn't have said no to him comin' in the first place." she told him, poking a finger into his chest.

"Yeah, well…" The Doctor turned back to the console finishing the rest of the sentence under his breath.

"Hey," she said placing a hand on his cheek and turning his face towards her. "It has always and will only ever be you for me. Okay?"

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly and he pulled her in for a kiss. When they broke apart, he turned back to Martha. "Okay, just one trip to say thanks. You get one trip, then back home. We um, we need our alone time."

Martha nodded. "Understood."

"Good. Well, then." he spun around the console flipping switches. "Close down the gravitic anomaliser, fire up the helmic regulator. And finally," he pushed down on the lever closest to him. "The hand brake."

"This is the really cool part." Rose whispered as she moved to stand next to Martha.

"Allonsy!" The Doctor shouted as the TARDIS began to dematerialize.

"Blimey, it's a bit bumpy." Martha observed as they were tossed to the ground.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Jones." Rose said standing up and holding out her hand to help Martha to her feet. "You're gonna love it.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Once again, Thank you all so much for the wonderful feedback, and I promise to do some replying this weekend. In the meantime, here's the new chapter and a cute little treat to watch: (ok, wouldn't post link, but if you go to Y Tube and type in darkmrvlgirl26 there are 2 Doctor who videos listed Enjoy :)  
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><p><strong>Chapter 13 – Something Wicked This Way Comes<strong>

"Is it always this bumpy?" Martha asked as she gripped onto the console; trying to regain her balance.

"Only when he's tryin' to show off." Rose gave The Doctor her signature grin and he stuck out his tongue as he reached across the console for a switch with one leg propped up on the control panel.

"But, it travels in time, so what makes it go?

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything. Martha, you don't want to know. It just does. Hold on tight." The TARDIS shuddered once more, sending its occupants sprawling to the floor. "You alright" he asked Rose who was lying on top of him.

"M' good. You?"

"Can't complain. Although I may have hit my head" he told her pointing to a spot near his hairline.

She leaned in and kissed his temple "Better?"

"And I may of scraped my cheek against the grating." he tapped another spot on the side of his face.

Smiling, she leaned in and placed another kiss to his cheek. "Anything else?"

"Weell," he gestured to his mouth.

"Really, and what did you hit those on?"

"Nothing yet." He grinned, capturing her lips with his.

When the kiss broke, Rose lightly smacked him on the arm and giggled as she lifted herself up. "Martha you Okay?"

"Yeah, I think so." The young woman got to her feet, straightening her top. "Blimey. Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"

"Yeah, he sort a failed it." Rose said, trying to hide a smile.

"Seriously?" Martha replied incredulously and turned to The Doctor who was slipping into his coat. "So you're not licensed to fly this thing?"

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with my driving." he told her as he helped Rose into her jacket. "Now, let's make the most of it. I promised you one trip and one trip only. Outside this door; brave new world."

"Alright, out with it. Where are we?" Rose asked.

"Guess you'll just have to go out and look." he said mischievously, taking her hand. "After you." he called over to Martha.

As the exited the TARDIS, they found themselves in a quaint little London village at nighttime, with the townspeople rushing about.

"Oh, you are kidding me." Martha said as she looked around in wonder. "You are so kidding me. Oh, my God, we did it. We travelled in time." She turned back to look at the pair. "Where are we? No, sorry. I got to get used to this whole new language. When are we?"

A sound from above had The Doctor pulling both women backwards. "Mind out." he said as a man emptied a chamber pot from an upstairs window. "Somewhere before the invention of the toilet." he added with a grimace. "Sorry about that."

Martha laughed it off. "I've seen worse. I've worked the late night shift A+E." she paused, her smile faltering slightly. "But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?"

"Oh yeah." Rose assured her. "S' perfectly safe."

"But, it's like in the films, I mean if you step on a butterfly can't you change the future of the human race?"

"Well, don't step on any butterflies." The Doctor told her as he helped Rose step over the mess on the ground. "And for that matter, what have butterflies ever done to you?"

"What if, I don't know, what if I kill my grandfather?" she asked worriedly.

The Doctor spun around once more. "Are you planning to?"

"No."

"Well, then." he turned back to Rose as they began walking again.

"And this is London?" Martha inquired as she tried to keep pace with their long strides.

"I think so. Round about 1599."

"Oh, but hold on." she stopped them again. "Am I all right? I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?"

"Why would they do that?" he asked scrunching up his face in confusion.

"Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed." she pointed out.

"I'm not even human. Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me."

"Or so he thinks." Rose whispered to Martha and they shared a laugh.

He glanced down at her with his eyebrows raised before continuing. "Besides, you'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time. Look over there." he pointed to a man shoveling manure. "They've got recycling." he nodded towards two others who were conversing next to a water barrel. "Water cooler moment." he smiled down at Rose who was giggling again.

A little further down there was a preacher spouting scripture. "And the earth will be consumed by flame." he warned them as they passed by.

"Global warming." The Doctor added as he eyed the man with slight amusement. "Oh, yes, and entertainment. Popular entertainment for the masses." he stopped and looked around. "If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark, right next to…" he took off running past the bridge, pulling Rose along with him, with Martha in tow. "Oh, yes!" he shouted happily when they turned the corner at the far end of the street. "The Globe Theatre! Brand new. Just opened. Though, strictly speaking, it's not a globe; it's a tetra-decagon. Fourteen sides."

Rose's mouth dropped open and she looked up at him in surprise. "Wait, 1599, Globe Theatre, you mean we're here to see…?"

He nodded with a smile. "You did say you loved his work."

Martha having put the pieces together as well looked on in awe. "Whoa, you don't mean…Is Shakespeare in there?"

"Oh, yes." he chuckled. "Dame Tyler, Miss Jones, would you like to accompany me to the theatre?"

Rose and Martha grinned at one another as Martha slipped her own arm through The Doctor's unoccupied one.

"We'd love to Sir Doctor" Rose said, squeezing his hand.

He smiled back at her and gave her a quick kiss before turning back to Martha. "When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare."

"Yeah." Martha scoffed. "Then I could get sectioned."

Rose chuckled and snuggled further into The Doctor's side as he led them into the theatre.

**-oOo-**

The performance was even better then Rose could have imagined. Even after all the time she had spent with The Doctor, and all the people she had met and the places she had seen, these experiences still never ceased to amaze her. She was able to witness things no one ever dared dream of and to count herself as lucky was a complete understatement. A four hundred and something year old play that she had read in school, and here she was, watching it live, knowing that she would never get tired of all their travelling. As the actors on stage took their bows, she joined the massive audience in a standing ovation.

"I take it you enjoyed it then?" The Doctor leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"I absolutely loved it." she replied, giving him a quick kiss. "Thank you."

"That was amazing!" Martha shouted over the clapping. "Just amazing. It's worth putting up with the smell." she laughed and then pointed towards a group of actors at the end of the stage. "And those are men dressed as women, yeah?"

"London never changes." The Doctor joked, earning a playful shove from Rose.

Martha lifted herself on tiptoes as she looked around the room. "Where's Shakespeare? I want to see Shakespeare. Author! Author! Do people shout that? Do they shout Author?"

The Doctor looked over at Rose who shrugged in amusement and joined Martha in her chant. Within a few seconds the entire room was filled with people shouting "Author! Author!"

"Looks like they do now." he said looking back at the sheepish looks on the women's faces.

The chanting immediately died down and was replaced by applause and loud whistles from the crowd, drawing their attention back towards the stage where Shakespeare had just entered.

"He's a bit different from his portraits." Martha observed.

"I'd say so." Rose added, a little too laced with innuendo for The Doctor's taste, bringing a small scowl to his face as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "You're not jealous, are you Doctor?" Rose teased, poking him lightly.

"No." he said a little too quickly, not looking at her.

"Oh good. 'Cause he's got nothin' on you." She grinned as she bumped his shoulder with her own.

"Really?" he asked, trying to hide the smile that was quickly forming.

"Mmm hmm. Definitely." she replied, tugging his hand from his pocket so that she could put her arms around his waist. "Much better hair too." She smiled tongue in teeth, and he made a happy noise in his throat before leaning down to reward her with another kiss.

"Oi, you two. Get a room." Martha chided playfully. "I can't believe we're really here." she said as she turned back to the stage. "I mean that's Shakespeare down there. It's really him."

The Doctor grinned at her enthusiasm. Truth be told aside from Dickens, Shakespeare had always been an inspiration to him. Someone he had looked up to for as long as he could remember. "Genius. He's a genius. The genius." He clarified. "The most human, human there's ever been. Now we're going to hear him speak." he told them eagerly. "Always, he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words."

Rose giggled. "Now there's a tongue twister."

"Ah, shut your big fat mouths!" Shakespeare shouted at the crowd, their cheers quickly changing to laughter at his outburst.

The Doctor's face fell. "Oh, well." he said as Rose leaned her head against his shoulder and rubbed his arm affectionately.

Martha gave him a sympathetic look. "You should never meet your heroes."

"You've got excellent taste, I'll give you that." Shakespeare said as his eyes drifted over the crowd. He pointed towards a shaggy haired man near the front of the stage. "Oh, that's a wig." The man glared at him as the rest of the crowd laughed. "I know what you're all saying." he continued. "Love's Labour's Lost, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops. Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon." The Doctor and Rose shared a quizzical look as the crowd grew louder. "Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius."

He gave a short bow and then stumbled backwards, looking around the room slightly disoriented as the noise from the crowd immediately died down to confused murmuring. After another slight pause, Shakespeare seemed to come back to himself.

"When? Tomorrow night. The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it Love's Labour's Won."

The room once again erupted into cheers as the trio looked at each other in confusion. Slowly the crowd began to trickle towards the exits and they followed them out.

"I know I haven't read everythin' he's written, but I've never heard of Love's Labour's Won." Rose said as they made their way down the street.

"It's a lost play." The Doctor explained. "It doesn't exist, only in rumors. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. And no one knows why."

"Ah, so another mystery to solve then?" she said playfully, earning another grin from The Doctor.

"Have you got a mini-disc or something?" Martha asked. "We can tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a mint."

"No." The Doctor replied, unamused.

Martha's smile quickly faded. "Right, 'cause that would be bad."

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?"

"Weell," he paused in contemplation. The adventurous part of him was begging to do a little investigating, while the other part wanted to just get her back home so that he and Rose could be alone again. "This was just supposed to be a quick little trip in the TARDIS…" he trailed off as he glanced down at Rose, who was smiling softly and batting her lashes at him. He sighed inwardly, knowing he had lost the battle as soon as he looked into her eyes. "But I suppose we could stay a bit longer."

Rose's grin widened as she wrapped her arms around his. "So where do you want to start?"

Glancing up at the sign labeled 'The Elephant Inn', he returned her smile. "Oh, I think I've got just the place.

**-oOo-**

When the trio reached Shakespeare's room, they found him sitting at a table with two other gentlemen drinking and talking in slightly raised voices while a barmaid passed them drinks. A young maid on the opposite side of the room noticed them come in, and eyed them curiously for a moment before returning to her work.

"Hello!" The Doctor called out, tapping on the open door. "Excuse me, not interrupting, am I?" He couldn't help but be awestruck in the famous poet's presence. "Mister Shakespeare, isn't it?"

"Oh, no. No, no, no." Shakespeare put a hand to his forehead in exasperation. "Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove…" he paused as his gaze fell on the two women standing behind The Doctor. Sitting up in his chair, he leaned forward slightly, a coy smile gracing his features. "Hey, nonny nonny. Sit right down here next to me." he gestured to the girls and then turned his attention to the two men sitting at the table. "You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go." he said shooing them away with his hands. "Dolly, some tea for my guests please."

The barmaid nodded. "Come on, lads." she said, ushering the two men from the room. "I think our William's found some new muses."

"Sweet ladies." Shakespeare beckoned them again as the men got up to leave.

Martha had already moved over to take a seat, but The Doctor kept Rose beside him.

"Such unusual clothes." Shakespeare commented as he took in Martha's attire. "So fitted." His eyes were now running down Rose's body, much to The Doctor's displeasure.

"Um, verily, forsooth, egads." Martha replied, trying out some of the lingo she had heard in movies.

"No, no, don't do that." The Doctor told her quietly, shaking his head. "Don't."

Martha blushed and looked away while Rose giggled softly, drawing the poet's attention back to her once more. "You are quite a lucky man to be traveling with such lovely companions."

"Yes I am." The Doctor replied firmly. "Very lucky."

Shakespeare's eyes flickered to the slight curvature of Rose's stomach as The Doctor possessively wrapped an arm around her waist. "Ah yes, I see."

"Anyway," The Doctor reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out the psychic paper, holding it out in front of him. "I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS; this is my lovely wife Dame Rose Tyler and our friend, Miss Martha Jones."

Rose felt her heart flutter lightly at being referred to as his wife for a second time within 2 days. Although she wouldn't admit it out loud, secretly she loved the sound of it. She knew she was blushing from the amused look Martha was giving her, but luckily enough The Doctor was too busy speaking to Shakespeare to notice.

"Interesting, that bit of paper." The poet remarked. "It's blank."

"Oh, that's very clever." The Doctor said impressed. "That proves it, absolute genius."

"No, it says so right there." Martha argued, pointing at the paper. "Sir Doctor, Dame Rose, Martha Jones. It says so."

"And I say it's blank." Shakespeare replied.

"Psychic paper um," he shook his head again. "Long story. Oh, I hate starting from scratch." he shoved the small wallet back in his pocket and Rose mouthed to Martha that she would explain later.

Shakespeare rolled his eyes. "Psychic? Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly?" He eyed Rose once more, but realizing she was clearly off limits, he turned his gaze to Martha. "More to the point, who is your delicious blackamoor lady?"

"What did you say?" Martha replied incredulously.

"Oops. Isn't that a word we use nowadays?" he asked, leaning closer. "An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric?"

The Doctor rubbed his neck uncomfortably, and one look at Rose told him that the poet was on his way to earning a famous Tyler slap."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this." Martha said in mock laughter as she stood up and walked over to stand next to Rose.

"It's political correctness gone mad." The Doctor muttered as he tugged on his ear. "Um, Martha's from a far-off land. Freedonia."

"Excuse me." called a voice from the doorway, interrupting the heated tension. "Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behavior. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mister Shakespeare." The portly man told him as he entered the room. "As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."

"Ah, Mr. Lynley." The poet greeted the man. "Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it round."

"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine." he replied angrily. "The script, now!"

"I can't." Shakespeare replied just as forcefully.

"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled." Lynley said, the tone of his voice indicating closure of the subject.

"It's all go around here, isn't it?" Martha whispered to Rose who nodded in agreement.

"I'm returning to my office for a banning order." Lynley continued as he backed towards the door. "If it's the last thing I do, Love's Labour's Won will never be played." he turned abruptly, almost colliding with the barmaid who had returned with the beverages, and then headed down the stairs.

"So that's it?" Rose asked, turning back to the playwright. "You're jus' gonna sit back and let him cancel your play without a fight?"

"What more is there to do my lady?" he said taking the mug Dolly was handing him. "He is after all the head of the theatre."

"I dunno. Stand up to him?" she replied as if it should be obvious.

"She's feisty this one." Shakespeare grinned.

The Doctor said nothing, but gave him another one of his 'she's mine' looks.

"Well then, mystery solved." Martha concluded, taking a sip of her tea. "That's Love's Labour's Won over and done with. Thought it might be something more, you know, more mysterious."

They all chuckled at her comment, but their enjoyment was cut short by the sound of several screams coming from out on the street. Jumping up from their seats, the four of them descended the stairs and ran out into the night to locate the source of the commotion. A large crowd had formed, watching in horror as The Master of Revels staggered along holding his hands to his throat as he continually coughed up copious amounts of water.

"It's that Lynley bloke." Martha said, reaching the bottom of the stairs first.

The Doctor quickly pushed past her. "What's wrong with him?"

"S' like he's drownin'." Rose observed as she stepped up beside him.

"Leave it to me. I'm a doctor." he quickly rushed over to the man's aid.

"So am I," Martha said as she joined him. "Or, near enough."

As they began to assess his condition, he gave one last choking gasp and collapsed to the ground, the remnants of the water dribbling down his cheek.

"Got to get the heart going." Martha said as she began CPR. "Mister Lynley, come on. Can you hear me? You're going to be all right. What the hell is that?" she asked The Doctor as the chest compressions continued to push water out of his mouth.

"I've never seen a death like it. His lungs are full of water." he looked up at Rose who was now standing beside him. "He drowned and then…" he shook his head, looking back at Lynley. "I don't know, like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow." Standing up, he turned to Dolly. "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humors. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away."

"Yes, sir." The barmaid replied.

"I'll do it, ma'am." The maid who had been in the room with them earlier told her.

"Thank you Lilith." Dolly said gratefully. The young woman nodded and headed back to the inn.

"Why did you tell them that?" Martha whispered to The Doctor.

"This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages." he explained. "If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft."

"Okay, what was it then?"

He ran a hand over his face and blew out a breath. "Witchcraft."

**-oOo-**

"I've got your rooms, Sir Doctor." Dolly called from the doorway. "Two singles. They're not much on short notice, but they're just across the landing."

"Thank you." Rose spoke up. "We're grateful for your hospitality."

The woman nodded with a small smile and then left the room.

"Poor Lynley." Shakespeare said mournfully. "So many strange events. Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor."

"Where a woman can do what she likes." Martha corrected him, placing her hands on her hips.

The poet raised an eyebrow. "And you, Sir Doctor. How can a man so young have eyes so old?"

"I do a lot of reading." He replied flatly.

"A trite reply." Shakespeare nodded in understanding. "Yeah, that's what I'd do. And you?" he turned his attention to Rose. "He looks at you like you hold his world in your hands. So strong-willed, almost fearless." He tilted his head slightly, as he regarded her. "The wolf who heralds the storm." he finished, his voice almost trance-like.

His choice of words made her shudder lightly and when she looked back at The Doctor, she could see that the statement had bothered him as well. "M' tired." She spoke up. "M' gonna turn in."

Martha, also seeming to have had enough for one day followed her out. "I think that goes for me as well."

"I must work." Shakespeare stood up and circled his desk. "I have a play to complete. But I'll get my answers tomorrow, Doctor. And I'll discover more about you and why this constant performance of yours."

"All the world's a stage." The Doctor remarked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Hmm. I might use that. Goodnight, Doctor."

"Nighty night, Shakespeare." he replied tonelessly as he headed out the door. He spotted the girls just across the landing and pulling his hands from his pockets he began a light jog over towards them.

Martha was holding a candle out in front of her as she and Rose surveyed her bedroom from the doorway. "It's not exactly five star, is it?" she asked the blonde.

"Oh, it'll do." The Doctor said as he came up behind them. "Besides, we've seen worse." Rose nodded in agreement as she thought back to some of the less than desirable lodging she and The Doctor had stayed in.

"Well, I'll see you guys in the morning." she said with a wave as she stepped into the room and shut the door behind her.

The Doctor let them into their own room, and Rose quickly walked over and sunk down onto the small bed.

"You alright?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," she rotated her shoulders a few times before slumping forward. "My back's jus' a little sore."

"Lie down on your stomach." He told her as he removed his jacket and tossed it onto the back of the wooden chair in the corner.

As she got settled, he unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves before climbing onto the bed next to her. Brushing her hair out of the way, he began to massage her shoulders and back, earning him a contented moan.

"Feel better?" he chuckled.

"Mmm, that feels amazin'." she replied dreamily.

He chuckled softly as his hands moved down towards her lower back, kneading the muscles gently as he eased her tension.

"So, witchcraft?" she murmured into the mattress.

"Hmm?" he asked, leaning forward.

"You mentioned witchcraft." She said again, lifting her head slightly and resting her chin on her arm. "So do you mean like real witches casting spells then? As in double, double, toil and trouble?"

"Well, it looks like witchcraft, but it isn't." he sighed, flopping onto his back and putting his hands behind his head. "Can't be. It doesn't make any sense."

Rose lifted herself up and turned on her side, facing him "What do you mean?"

"Witches, witchcraft, these things aren't real."

"Wait a minute," she said, propping herself up on her elbow. "You're tellin' me out of all the stuff you've seen in your lifetime, aliens and gods and devils and even the loch ness monster, you're unwillin' to believe the slightest possibility that witches could be real too?"

"I didn't say that. It's just; I've never actually seen one."

"Well maybe now's your chance."

"Maybe, but witchcraft?" He shook his head and then flipped over to face her. "There's such a thing as psychic energy, but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that. No, there's something I'm missing, Rose. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it."

"You'll figure it out." she said, placing her hand on his chest in between his hearts. "You always do. Jus' give yourself some time."

"You think so huh?" he asked, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "What makes you so sure?"

"Because I believe in you." she told him, moving her hand up to his cheek and running her thumb along his sideburn. "And at the risk of strokin' your ego, you are quite brilliant you know."

"Weell," he shrugged as he feigned an attempt at modesty, making them both laugh. "But you know," he continued, wrapping an arm around her waist and molding his body to hers. "If you really want to stroke something..." He trailed off, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

"You really are insatiable." she giggled as his mouth covered hers and he rolled them over so he was lying on top of her.

He quickly unbuttoned her top, parting the material and running his hands along the lace encased flesh as he trailed kisses along her jawline and down her neck. She moaned softly and arched up into him as her hands moved to the clasp of his trousers. She was just sliding them down his hips when a loud scream pierced the silence. Breathing heavily, they pulled apart. Rose hurriedly buttoned up her shirt, while The Doctor refastened his pants and slipped on his jacket before heading towards the door. As they stepped into the hall, Rose almost collided with Martha.

"What was that?" Martha asked looking around at several of the other guests who had poked their heads out of their rooms to see what the commotion was about.

"I don't know." Rose said. "But it sounded close."

Suddenly there was a second scream and the three of them took off in the direction of the sound, which led back to Shakespeare's room. When they entered, the man himself awoke from his desk with a start.

"What?" he stammered in a sleepy haze. "What was that?"

"Doctor, S' Dolly!" Rose called out as she ran over and knelt down next to the woman's body.

Kneeling beside her, he did a quick examination of the woman on the ground and looked up at Rose in bewilderment. "Her heart gave out. She died of fright."

Martha had been staring out the window since they came in at something that couldn't possibly be real. As she watched the cackling figure fly away on a broom, she finally found her voice. "Um, Doctor? Rose?"

"What did you see?" he asked as they stepped up behind her and looked out into the empty sky.

Martha shook her head for a moment as though to clear it and then stated calmly. "A witch."

**-oOo-**

The two women quietly observed The Doctor as he sat with his chin cradled in his hands, staring off into space and muttering to himself as he tried to wrap his head around the situation.

Martha raised an eyebrow and leaned towards Rose, speaking in a low voice. "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, he's jus' havin' a hard time comin' to terms with the fact that witches are real."

"Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey." Shakespeare said mournfully as he sat down at his desk. "She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place when we all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit."

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light." The Doctor said offhandedly.

The poet nodded. "I might use that."

"You can't." he replied flatly as he continued to stare at nothing in particular. "It's someone else's."

"We have a bigger problem than your play right now." Rose interjected. "Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright, and they were both connected to you."

Shakespeare looked taken aback at her statement. "You're accusing me?"

"No, M' sayin' that whoever's responsible is either tryin' to help you or hurt you. Either way, it means trouble."

"Not to mention that I saw a witch, big as you like, flying and cackling away." Martha added. "And you've written about witches."

"I have?" Shakespeare asked confusedly. "When was that?"

"That's actually quite a bit later." Rose whispered.

The poet looked thoughtful for a moment. "Peter Streete spoke of witches."

"Who's Peter Streete?" Rose inquired.

"Our builder. He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect." The Doctor murmured, finally coming out of his trance. "Hold on. The architect! The architect!" he stood up abruptly, grabbing Rose's hand. "The Globe, come on!"

**-oOo-**

"The columns there, right? Fourteen sides." The Doctor said as he stood in the center of the large theatre, observing the architecture. "I've always wondered, but I never asked. Tell me, Will. Why fourteen sides?"

Shakespeare, who had been ogling Martha for the entirety of the walk over finally managed to tear his eyes away long enough to answer. "It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well." He returned his gaze to the young woman who began fiddling with the sleeve of her maroon leather jacket uncomfortably before deciding to go and sit next to Rose who was perched on the edge of the stage kicking her feet back and forth.

"Fourteen." The Doctor pondered the number for a moment. "Why does that ring a bell? Fourteen."

"There's fourteen lines in a sonnet." Martha said helpfully.

"So there is." The Doctor nodded in agreement. "Good point. Words and shapes following the same design. Fourteen lines, fourteen sides, fourteen facets." He was pacing now, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "Oh, my head. Tetra decagon. Think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!"

"This is just a theatre." Shakespeare replied exasperatedly.

"Oh yeah, but a theatre's magic, isn't it?" The Doctor said, pausing in his rant. "You should know." He walked over towards where Rose was sitting, and ran his hand along the wooded edge. "Stand on this stage; say the right words with the right emphasis at the right time. Oh, you can make men weep, or cry with joy. Change them." He got a far off look in his eye as he continued. "You can change people's minds just with words in this place. But if you exaggerate that…"

"S' like the TARDIS." Rose chimed in. "Looks like a small wooden box, but so much more powerful on the inside."

The Doctor beamed at her for a moment and then reached out for her hand, placing a kiss to her knuckles. "Tell you what though, Peter Streete would know." He looked back up at Shakespeare. "Can I talk to him?"

The poet shrugged. "You won't get an answer. A month after finishing this place, he lost his mind."

"Why? What happened?" Rose asked, glancing back at him over her shoulder.

"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled."

"Where is he now?"

"Bedlam."

"What's Bedlam?" Martha inquired.

"S' a hospital. They specialize in mental illness." Rose said quietly.

The Bard nodded. "That's the one. Bethlem Hospital."

The Doctor stared at Rose, impressed. "What?" she asked looking back at him. "I told you I studied this era."

With a grin, he gently lifted her down from the stage and gave her a quick kiss. "You're brilliant you are." he said and then held his hand out to Martha to help her down as well. "We're going to go there, right now."

"Wait!" Shakespeare shouted as the trio headed for the exit. "I'm coming with you. I want to witness this at first hand." As they reached the door, two of the play's cast members were coming in at the same time. "Ralph," he called out to the youngest of the two, and handed him the finalized script. "The last scene as promised. Copy it, hand it round, learn it, speak it. Back before curtain up. And remember, kid, project. Eyes and teeth. You never know, the Queen might turn up." He clapped the young man on the back as he turned to leave, muttering under his breath. "As if. She never does." Hurrying down the path, he quickly caught up to the small group and positioned himself next to Martha. "So, tell me of Freedonia, where women can be doctors, writers, actors." he said eagerly.

"This country's ruled by a woman." She informed him as she shared a smile with Rose.

"Ah, she's royal. That's God's business. Though you are a royal beauty." He drawled, looking her up and down.

"Whoa, Nelly." Martha stopped abruptly and held up her hand. "I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country."

"But Martha," he edged closer. "This is Town."

Rose rolled her eyes and was poised to comment when The Doctor did it for her.

"Come on." He growled in frustration as he spun around to face them. "There will be plenty of time for flirting later."

"Is that a promise, Doctor?" Shakespeare replied cheekily, giving him a once over as well.

The Doctor looked taken aback and Rose's discontent at the poet's behavior was temporarily abated. "Oh, Jack is absolutely gonna love this." She said, nudging The Time Lord in the side with her elbow.

"And, fifty seven academics just punched the air." The Doctor said in disbelief as he turned and began to walk again, pulling Rose with him. "Now move!" he called to the other two over his shoulder.

**-oOo-**

The walk to the hospital took less time than what was expected. It was located just outside the city walls and housed close to about twenty patients. As they stepped inside the wrought iron gates, Rose shivered slightly at the foreboding sense the building gave off.

"You okay?" The Doctor asked as the keeper let them inside.

"Yeah," she assured him, attempting a small smile.

He nodded, although not quite sure if he believed her answer. Figuring it best not to push, he instead took her hand as they continued to follow the keeper.

"Does my Lord Doctor wish some entertainment while he waits?" the man asked, as he led them through the corridors. "I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for you." He chuckled.

"You'd what?" Rose replied horrified.

"Whip them." The man said again as he turned around to face them. "You know, mad dog in Bedlam?" his grin quickly fading when he saw the look on Rose's face.

"How dare you!" she growled. "S' that how you help people who are sick? By beatin' them?"

"I um," he stammered as he scratched the back of his head.

The Doctor looked on in mild amusement at the way Rose took a stand. It was one of the many things he loved about her. She stood up for what was right, fought for the people who couldn't help themselves, and asserted herself to those who would try to put others beneath them. Not only did it make him proud to see how much she had grown into this life of theirs, but it also seemed to be something of a turn on.

The keeper swallowed thickly as Rose stared him down. Having nothing else to say in his defense, he politely excused himself. "Please wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies." With a quick bow, he hastily made his way down the corridor.

"So this is what you call a hospital, yeah?" Martha said, in disgust. "Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry?" she turned to Shakespeare. "And you put your friend in here?"

"S' not a hospital." Rose said angrily."S' a prison."

"I don't understand why the two of you are so upset." The playwright replied. "This is how things work."

"Are you kiddin' me?" Rose snapped.

"These are people." Martha added. "Real people and they shouldn't be treated like this."

Shakespeare rolled his eyes. "Oh, it's all so different in Freedonia." he replied condescendingly.

Rose shook her head in disbelief. "You're tellin' us you honestly think this is a good place?"

"I've been mad. I've lost my mind." he admitted. "Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose."

Martha furrowed her brows. "Mad in what way?"

"You lost your son." The Doctor said softly.

He nodded. "My only boy. The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there. It made me question everything. The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be." he paused. "Oh, that's quite good."

"You should write that down." The Doctor remarked.

"Hmm," The poet pondered. "Maybe not. A bit pretentious?"

"Eh." The Doctor shrugged indifferently.

"This way, my lord!" Called the Keeper, not wanting to be any closer to Rose and Martha than he needed to.

They made their way to the end of the cell block where the keeper was unlocking the doors. Inside the cell sat a man dressed all in rags with his back to them, rocking back and forth slowly. As The Doctor moved forward, the Keeper grabbed his arm.

"They can be dangerous, my lord." he warned him. "Don't know their own strength."

"Yeah, I think it helps if you don't whip them!" The Doctor shouted. "Now get out, before I lock you in a cell with these two for five minutes." he told him gesturing to Rose and Martha.

The keeper's eyes widened as the two women gave him an evil grin and he immediately took off running out the door and pulling it shut behind him.

"I'm pretty sure he just left with the keys." Shakespeare observed.

Ignoring him, The Doctor slowly approached the man on the ground. "Peter?" he said gently, kneeling down beside him. "Peter Streete?"

"He's the same as he was." The Bard maintained. "You'll get nothing out of him."

The Doctor reached out and lightly placed his hand on the man's shoulder. "Peter?" he tried again.

The man's head quickly shot up, startling everyone in the room. He seemed to be staring at something unseen, and his eyes were wild.

"Doctor, can you help him?" Rose asked as she stepped up behind him.

"I'm going to try." Reaching out he placed his hands on either side of the man's face, moving his fingers to rest against his temples.

Martha moved to stand next to Rose. "What's he gonna do?"

"S' a form of touch telepathy. He's gonna go into his mind and try to reach him."

"He can do that? Just go into someone's mind?"

"Yeah, but he never does it without the person's permission. This is a special case, since Peter can't really respond."

Martha nodded in understanding and returned her attention to what The Doctor was doing.

"Peter, I'm the Doctor. Go into the past. One year ago. Let your mind go back. Back to when everything was fine and shining." he spoke in a gentle tone as if he were hypnotizing the man. "Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A Winter's Tale. Let go." Peter shuddered slightly as The Doctor lowered him backwards onto his cot. "That's it. That's it, just let go." Once Peter was lying down, he removed his hands from his face and took a step back. "Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches."

"Witches spoke to Peter." The man shuddered again. "In the night, they whispered. They whispered." he clawed at his ears. "Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. Their design! The fourteen walls. Always fourteen. When the work was done…" he paused, laughing almost maniacally. "They snapped poor Peter's wits."

"But where did Peter see the witches?" The Doctor pressed. "Where in the city?" Peter shook his head as he began to hyperventilate. "Peter, tell me. You've got to tell me where were they?"

"All Hallows Street." Peter finally replied, just before his eyes widened in fear.

"Too many words." said a low, cackling voice.

The Doctor immediately grabbed Rose, pushing her behind him, while Shakespeare pulled Martha to his side.

"What the hell?" Martha gasped as they all took in the withered old hag that had mysteriously appeared out of nowhere.

"Just one touch of the heart." The old crone chuckled, pressing a bony finger to Peter's chest.

"No!" Rose shouted as she attempted to run forward, but was stopped and held fast by The Doctor.

Peter cried out for just a moment before collapsing backwards and exhaling his final breath

"Witch!" Shakespeare cried out in astonishment. "I'm seeing a witch!"

"Now, who would be next, hmm?" The witch cackled again. "Just one touch. Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals."

Martha ran to the door in attempts to call the Keeper back. "Let us out! Let us out!" she cried.

"That's not going to work." The Doctor called over his shoulder. "The whole building's shouting that."

"Who will die first, hmm?" The witch asked gleefully.

"Weell, if you're looking for volunteers." The Doctor took a step forward.

"What are you doin'?" Rose said, grabbing his arm.

"Trust me." he said quietly.

"Doctor, can you stop her?" Shakespeare asked through clenched teeth.

"No mortal has power over me." The old crone hissed.

"Oh, but there's a power in words." The Doctor reminded her smugly, wiping the grin from her face. "If I can find the right one. If I can just know you."

"None on Earth has knowledge of us."

"Then it's a good thing I'm here. Now think, think, think." He gave the witch a once over. "Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy." His face lit up as the answer revealed itself from the riddle. "Ah! Fourteen! That's it! Fourteen!" he shouted, making the witch take a step back. "The 14 stars of the Rexel planetary configuration! Creature, I name you Carrionite!"

The witch screamed in agony as a bright light engulfed her and within seconds she was gone.

"What did you do?" Rose asked.

"I named her." He said simply. "The power of a name, that's old magic." he smiled and gave her a wink.

"But there's no such thing as magic." Martha contended.

"Weell," he shrugged. "It's just a different sort of science. You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead."

"Use them for what?" Shakespeare inquired having gathered his wits.

The Doctor looked back at him with a somber expression. "The end of the world."

**-oOo-**

The Doctor was pacing back and forth so quickly, it was making Rose dizzy just watching him. Needing to regroup after the witch's attack and Peter's death, they had decided to return to the inn for further research.

"The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe." The Doctor explained as he continued his pacing. "Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."

"Well, I'm going for real." Shakespeare said, splashing some cool water on his face from the basin on his nightstand.

"So what do they want then?" Rose asked.

"A new empire on Earth." He replied finally halting his movements and leaning against the desk. "A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."

"But how?" Martha wanted to know.

"I'm looking at the man with the words." He said, glancing over at Shakespeare.

"Me?" he scoffed. "But I've done nothing."

Rose had been deliberating on the information at hand when something occurred to her. "What were you doing last night, when that Carrionite was in the room?"

"Finishing the play."

The Doctor's head shot up. "What happens on the last page?"

The Bard shrugged. "The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual. Except those last few lines." He paused for a moment, looking slightly puzzled. "Funny thing is I don't actually remember writing them."

"That's it. They used you." The Doctor looked over at Rose who nodded her agreement. "They gave you the final words like a spell, like a code. Love's Labour's Won. It's a weapon. The right combination of words, spoken at the right place, with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing!" He chuckled joyfully as he swept Rose into his arms and swung her around. "And yes, you can have that." He told the playwright over her shoulder as he set her back down. "Now we just need a map."

Shakespeare took a moment to dig through his desk drawers and pulled out a small frayed map of London and handed it to him.

Laying it down on the desk, The Doctor trailed his finger over the various land marks and locations. "All Hallows Street." He tapped lightly on the map when he found its location. "There it is. Rose, Martha, and I will track them down." He looked up at Shakespeare. "Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do," he implored him. "Stop that play."

"I'll do it." The poet said, reaching out to shake The Doctor's hand. "All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing."

"Weell." The Doctor shrugged as he removed his glasses.

Rose snickered and whispered to Martha. "He thinks he's so impressive."

"I am so impressive." He whispered in her ear, making her giggle even more.

Shakespeare chuckled. "Good luck, Doctor."

"Good luck, Shakespeare." He clapped the man on the back and grabbed his coat as they headed out the door. "Once more unto the breach."

"I like that." The Bard called after him and then tilted his head in thought. "Wait a minute, that's one of mine."

The Doctor poked his head back through the door. "Oh, just shift!" he said impatiently, before turning to follow the girls downstairs.

**-oOo-**

It didn't take them long to reach their destination, but as they didn't have an exact address, they were unsure as how to proceed.

"All Hallows Street," The Doctor declared as he looked up and down the road. "But which house?"

As they contemplated their next move, Martha decided to voice something that had been bothering her. "Am I missing something here? The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at us." She gestured to Rose. "We're living proof."

The Doctor sighed. "Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux?" His eyes widened as an idea struck him. "I know, Back to the Future. It's like Back to the Future."

"The film?"

"No, the novelization." He replied sarcastically and then scowled a bit when Rose elbowed him in the side. "Yes, the film." He continued. "Marty McFly goes back and changes history."

"And he starts fading away." The color immediately drained from Martha's face. "Oh my God, are we going to fade?"

"No. Because I'm not going to let that happen. "Now we just need to figure out which house…" he trailed off as a door in front of them creaked and swung open of its own accord.

"Make that witch house." Rose replied with a tongue in tooth grin.

The Doctor shook his head and smiled. "Well, only one way to find out." He told them heading towards the door, but just as he reached it, he stopped abruptly. "Rose," he said, pulling her aside. "I need you to wait out here."

"What? No." she protested. "Absolutely not."

"Rose, they're witches."

"And…"

"And it's a dangerous situation." He finished for her.

"But you're willing to put Martha in danger?"

"She won't be." He assured her. "But I can't be worrying about what they might do to you and the baby when I'm trying to stop them from destroying the world. So please, just wait here."

Seeing the worry evident in his eyes, she sighed and resolutely nodded in agreement.

"Thank you." He said, kissing her softly. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

As he and Martha entered the house, Rose sighed and leaned back against the wall dejectedly. "He's got five minutes." She told herself aloud. "Then M' goin' in."

**-oOo-**

As they reached the second story of the house, they entered the room cautiously to find the young maid they had met at the tavern waiting for them.

"I take it we're expected." The Doctor said, taking in Lilith's apathetic attitude to their presence.

"Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time." She replied in a low voice.

"Right then," Martha smacked him lightly on the arm with the back of her hand. "It's my turn. I know how to do this." Confidently stepping forward, she held out her hand, pointing her finger at Lilith. "I name thee Carrionite!" The woman gasped mockingly and Martha's face fell. "What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?"

"The power of a name works only once." Lilith said. "Observe." She pointed her own finger at Martha. "I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones."

Martha's eyes rolled back into her head and she fell against The Doctor, who gently lowered her to the ground. "What have you done?" he demanded angrily.

Lilith looked thoughtful for a moment. "Only sleeping, alas. It's curious. The name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time." She quickly turned her attention back to him. "And as for you, Sir Doctor…" she paused, studying him with a tilt of her head. "Fascinating. There is no name. Why would a man hide his title in such despair?" As she contemplated him further, her confusion was immediately replaced with delight. "Oh, but look. There's still one word with the power to bring you to your knees."

"The naming won't work on me." He replied through gritted teeth.

"But she holds your heart in her hands." Lilith said tauntingly, placing a hand to her chest. "She, who you would tear apart the universe for."

"Don't you dare!" he growled, advancing on her. "Because she keeps me fighting and will continue to do so for the rest of my days. Now the Carrionites vanished. Where did you go?"

Lilith spun around in a huff, stalking towards a large cauldron in the center of the room. "The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness."

"And how did you escape?"

"New words." She drawled. "New and glittering, from a mind like no other."

"Shakespeare." The Doctor affirmed.

"His son perished." Lilith continued as she gestured to the surface of the cauldron, which now displayed an image of the poet. "The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance."

"How many of you?"

"Just the three." She confessed. "But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the universe back into the old ways of blood and magic."

"Hmm. Busy schedule." The Doctor tugged lightly on his ear as he closed the distance between them. "But first you've got to get past me." he said firmly, jamming his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, that should be a pleasure." She ran her hand along his cheek, leaning in until her lips were centimeters from his. "Considering my enemy has such a handsome shape."

"You know, M' not exactly opposed to droppin' a house on your evil arse if you don't get your hands off him." Said a voice from the doorway, making them both turn in surprise.

"Rose," The Doctor said with a reproachful look. "I told you to wait outside."

"So you're sayin' you're surprised to see me then?" she asked as she stepped into the room and then turned her attention back to Lilith, eyes flashing. "Well, are you gonna move away from him, or do have to make you move?"

"She's quite bold this one, and also something of a mystery." Lilith remarked with amusement.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. I jus' don't like it when other people try to take things that belong to me." she told her, making The Doctor flush with manly pride. "Oh, and don't go gettin' any ideas. He's already named me, so that won't work anymore."

"Oh, I have plenty of other ideas." Lilith cackled as she snipped several hairs from The Doctor's head and then backed away quickly.

"What was that for?" he asked in alarm, reaching up to touch the back of his head. "What did you do?"

"Souvenir." She purred.

"Well, give it back!" he ordered as both he and Rose advanced towards her.

With a wave of her arms, the window behind Lilith opened abruptly and she flew backwards and out into the night, hovering in midair.

"Well, that's just cheating." The Doctor grumbled.

A soft moan made them turn away from the window to see Martha trying to sit up. "Oh my god, Martha." Rose said, rushing over to help the woman to her feet. "Are you okay?"

"My head feels sort of fuzzy." Martha replied, placing a hand to her temple.

"Behold, Doctor." Lilith said, drawing his attention back to her. She held out what looked like a voodoo doll and began to wrap the hairs she stole from him around it. "Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets."

"Now, you might call that magic." He said angrily. "I'd call that a DNA replication module."

"What use is your science now?" she taunted him as she stabbed the doll with the scissors.

The Doctor screamed in pain, grabbing his chest as he fell to the ground and making Lilith cackle in delight as she flew away.

"Doctor!" Rose cried out, running to his side.

"Ah! I've only got one heart working." he grimaced as she helped him up." How do you people cope? I've got to get the other one started. Hit me! Hit me on the chest!" Rose balled up her fist and averting her eyes, punched him over the right heart. "Gah!" he groaned in frustration. "Other side."

"Alright, well S' not so easy to do when M' holdin' you up at the same time." she snapped back. "Martha give me hand."

"You want me to hit him?" she questioned, uncertainly.

"Consider it as payback for him bein' a smart arse earlier." Rose replied, giving The Doctor a grin when she caught him glaring at her.

A small smile began to tug at her lips. "Okay." she agreed, finding herself slightly delighted at the idea of a little retribution. Balling up her fists, she steadied herself and then paused again. "Um, where exactly?"

"On the back, on the back." he directed her as he leaned forward. Using both fists together, Martha brought them down on his back forcefully and he groaned. "Left a bit." She repeated the action once more and he stood up abruptly, cracking his back. "Gah, lovely. There we go. Badda boomba!" He grabbed Rose and kissed her soundly and then grinned. "Well, what are we standing here for?" he asked running for the door. "We need to get to the Globe!"

They quickly made their way downstairs and back out onto the street with The Doctor in the lead, firmly gripping onto Rose's hand with Martha keeping pace behind them.

"We're going the wrong way!" she called out.

"No, we're not!" he argued.

"Doctor, she's right." Rose said. "We came from the other side of the bridge."

The Doctor came to an abrupt halt and looked back over his shoulder. "Yeah, we're going the wrong way." he said, turning around and running back the opposite direction.

Martha, who had just caught up with them, rolled her eyes at the Doctor's lack of direction and quickly made a sharp U-turn to follow them. As they neared the Globe theatre, the wind seemed to pick up and they could see a large red cloud hanging ominously overhead.

"I told thee so! I told thee!" shouted the preacher they met earlier triumphantly.

"Yes you did. That's nice." The Doctor replied. "Stage door" he told the girls as they continued on towards the theatre.

When they walked in, Shakespeare was coming to slowly. As soon as he saw them he attempted to sit up, groaning slightly and Martha immediately ran over to check him for a concussion.

"Stop the play." The Doctor fumed. "I think that was it. Yeah, I said, stop the play!"

Shakespeare blinked at him several times as he tried to regain his bearings. "I hit my head." He replied groggily as he massaged the lump already forming.

"Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald." The Doctor commented dryly. The screams of the crowd grew louder as a large clap of thunder shook the theatre. "I think that's my cue!" he said, taking off through the curtains.

"He never stays still for very long does he?" Martha asked, helping Shakespeare to his feet.

"Not really, no." Rose shook her head as they took off after him.

Passing through the curtains, they almost ran into The Doctor who was standing in the center of the stage and looking up at the sky.

"Now begins the millennium of blood!" The Carrionites crowed from the upper balcony as the storm increased in intensity. The strong winds began to form a small vortex that hovered midair as the lighting crackled around it, illuminating the unearthly red clouds.

Lilith's gaze drifted down toward the stage and she snarled. "The Doctor. He lives. Then watch this world become a blasted heath!" she lifted up what looked like a large glowing crystal ball into the air, chanting. "They come. They come!"

The crystal ball gave off a bluish-purple haze as a wave of bat-like creatures formed within and then began to slowly emerge, filling the air and growing bigger and bigger as they took a slightly more humanoid shape.

"Come on, Will!" The Doctor grabbed Shakespeare's arm, pulling him forward as he shouted over the roaring wind. "History needs you!"

"But what can I do?" he shouted back.

"Reverse it!"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius." The Doctor said encouragingly. "The only man clever enough to do it."

"But what words? I have none ready!"

"Are you kiddin' me?" Rose asserted. "You're William Shakespeare!"

The poet was hesitant for a moment. "But these Carrionite phrases, the need such precision."

"Trust yourself." The Doctor implored him. "When you're locked away in your room, the words just come, don't they, like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm. Words that last forever. That's what you do, Will. You choose perfect words. Do it. Improvise."

Shakespeare took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Close up this din of hateful, dire decay, decomposition of your witches' plot. You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not!"

"No!" Lilith hissed. "Words of power!"

"Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show! Between the points…" he looked back at The Doctor for the coordinates.

"Seven six one three nine oh!" The Doctor stated.

"Seven six one three nine oh! Banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee…" he paused again, turning to look back at them for help with the final word that would end the Carrionites reign of terror.

They all looked at one another uncertainly and then Martha threw her arms up, saying the first thing that popped into her head. "Expelliarmus!"

"Expelliarmus!" The Doctor and Rose concurred gleefully.

Shakespeare gave them a confused look but nodded anyway, turning back and yelling "Expelliarmus!"

"Good old JK!" The Doctor grinned, bumping Rose's shoulder with his own.

"The deep darkness!" Lilith cried out. "They are consumed!"

The Carrionites began screaming as the vortex drew them in, sending them back into the dark depths from which they came, and pulling the pages of the doomed play along with them.

"Love's Labour's Won." The Doctor said, wrapping an arm around Rose's waist. "There it goes."

With a few more flashes of lightning, the vortex collapsed on itself and blinked out of existence. The entire theatre was silenced for a few moments as the cast and crowd took in what had just happened, and then someone started to clap. Soon enough the entire crowd erupted into cheers and applause.

"They think it was all special effects?" Martha said incredulously.

"Your effect is special indeed." Shakespeare whispered flirtatiously.

Martha shook her head in slight amusement. "It's not your best line."

He grinned and held out his hand to her. When she took it, he pulled her towards the center of the stage, and they began to bow to the audience.

The Doctor and Rose took a quick bow themselves and then headed up into the balcony to retrieve the crystal ball.

"S' sort a' like an evil magic snow globe." Rose remarked as she watched the three witches inside attempt to claw their way out. "So what are you gonna do with them?"

"Oh, I was thinking we could stick them up in the TARDIS attic where they can scream for all eternity."

"Yeah, she's gonna love that. More junk to add to your collection." She teased. "They can go right between your cricket mallets and Venusian Aikido trophies."

Looking up he gave her a mock glare before they both burst into laughter. "C'mon." he said, holding out his hand. "We better go check on Martha and make sure Romeo down there is behaving himself. Plus they have a little shop I want to visit."

"You and your little shops." Rose giggled as she took his hand and they headed back downstairs.

**-oOo-**

As they waited for The Doctor to return from his shopping, Rose had managed to be suckered into playing chaperone to make sure Shakespeare kept his wandering hands to himself. Although she was fairly sure Martha could handle herself, since they were responsible for the girl, she agreed to keep an eye on her. She decided at least, for Martha's sake to maintain a respectable distance and leaned against the stage while they sat on the bench across from her talking.

"And I say a heart for a hart and a dear for a deer." Shakespeare chuckled.

Martha furrowed her brows. "I don't get it."

"Then give me a joke from Freedonia." He said, sitting back and crossing his arms.

"Okay," she cleared her throat. "Shakespeare walks into a pub and the landlord says, 'Oi mate, you're Bard'."

"That's brilliant." He laughed again. "Doesn't make sense, mind you, but never mind that." He reached out, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Now come here." He said pulling her closer.

"I've only just met you." Martha protested.

"The Doctor and Rose have one another. Do you not wish to have a lover of your own as well?" he asked as he leaned forward, lips a hairsbreadth from her own.

Both Rose and Martha's eyebrows shot up at his bold question, but Rose remained stationary, wanting to see how the young woman would handle the situation.

"I don't know how to tell you this, oh great genius," Martha said as she pulled away from him. "But your breath doesn't half stink."

Rose clamped a hand over her mouth to hide the grin as the playwright blinked at Martha in confusion. But before her could question her response, The Doctor returned.

"Good props store back there." he called out as he walked into the room.

Rose took one look at him and began laughing. "What are you wearin'?"

"What," he looked down at the ruffled collar around his neck. "Don't you like it? They're all the rage." he wiggled his eyebrows. "I'm not sure about this though." He held up some sort of animal skull.

"Looks like a Sycorax." Rose said as she walked over to examine it.

"Sycorax." Shakespeare looked thoughtful. "Nice word. I'll have that off you as well."

"We should be on ten percent." The Doctor replied, gesturing to himself and Rose. "How's your head?"

The poet frowned. "Still aching."

"Here, I got you this." The Doctor removed the ruffled collar from his own neck and put it around Shakespeare's. "Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better. Although you might want to keep it, it suits you." He looked up at Rose who was covering her mouth with her hand again to keep from laughing and gave her a knowing wink.

"What about the play?" Martha inquired.

"Gone." He confirmed. "I looked all over. Every single copy of Love's Labour's Won went up in the sky."

"My lost masterpiece." Shakespeare murmured, slightly crestfallen.

Martha patted his shoulder. "You could write it up again."

"Probably not a good idea." Rose interjected.

"Yeah, better not, Will." The Doctor agreed. "There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten."

"Oh, but I've got new ideas. Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons, in memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet."

"Hamnet?" Martha questioned.

Shakespeare nodded. "That's him."

"Hamnet?" she repeated giving the other two a dumbfounded look.

"What's wrong with that?" he asked, perplexed as he looked around at the trio.

The Doctor shared a smile with Rose once more and then cleared his throat. "Anyway, time we were off. Places to go, people to meet and I've got to take Martha back to Freedonia."

Shakespeare gave a slight nod of understanding. "You mean travel on through time and space."

"You what?" The Doctor replied, taken aback.

"You're from another world like the Carrionites, and Martha and Rose are from the future." The poet said simply. "It's not hard to work out."

"That's incredible." The Doctor looked over at Rose shaking his head in amazement. "He's… You are incredible." He gushed, turning back to the Bard.

"We're alike in many ways, Doctor." He turned back to the young woman next to him. "Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady." Martha looked over at Rose with an excited grin, and the blonde gave her a thumbs up as Shakespeare took her hand in his. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" he began. Rose glanced over at The Doctor who mouthed 'oh, wow.' and tried not to laugh again as the poet continued. "Thou art more lovely and more temperate." As he leaned down to place a kiss on the back of her hand, the moment was interrupted by someone shouting his name.

"Will, you'll never believe it." Said one of the two actors that had just entered the theatre. "She's here! She's turned up!"

"We're the talk of the town." The second man added. "She heard about last night. She wants us to perform it again."

"Who?" Martha asked curiously.

"Her Majesty." replied the first man. "She's here."

A loud fanfare echoed through the venue as the Queen entered, flanked by two guards.

"Queen Elizabeth the First!" The Doctor said in awe.

"Doctor?" The Queen stopped abruptly as she gaped at him.

The Doctor's smile quickly faded as he stared back; slightly perplexed. "What?"

"You didn't tell me you knew Elizabeth the First." Rose whispered.

"I wasn't aware that I had." He said, tugging on his ear nervously.

"And Rose Tyler and Martha Jones." The Queen continued as her eyes drifted over to his companions. "My sworn enemies."

"What?" The Doctor repeated.

"Where are the others?" she demanded.

Rose now found herself just as confused as The Doctor. "What others?" she asked.

"That trouble making husband of hers," she nodded to Martha. "And the one who enamored half of my Royal court."

"Hold on, my what?" Now it was Martha's turn to ask.

"Never mind." The Queen turned to her guards. "Off with their heads!"

"What?" The Doctor managed to squeak out once more.

"Forget what," Rose said grabbing his hand. "Jus' run!"

"See you, Will." Martha called over her shoulder. "And thanks."

"Stop them!" The Queen ordered. "Stop those pernicious troublemakers at once!"

Shakespeare's laughter followed the trio as they ran from the theatre with the guards on their heels.

"What did she mean by husband, and how could we have upset her?" Martha asked as they made their way through the crowded street towards the TARDIS.

"How should I know?" The Doctor replied. "I haven't even met her yet."

"Knowin' him, he blew somethin' up." Rose told her.

"Oi!"

"Okay, he's gonna blow somethin' up." She corrected as they came to a stop in front of the big blue box. "Better?"

"So, we're being chased for something you haven't even done yet?" Martha asked, breathing heavily.

"Pretty much." The Doctor said as he fumbled for his key. "That's time travel for you. Still, can't wait to find out." He gave Rose an exhilarated grin. "That's something for us look forward to."

"Stop in the name of the Queen!" The guards called out as they caught up to them, wielding their bows.

"Ooo!" he exclaimed as he saw them prepare to shoot and quickly unlocked the door, ushering them inside and slamming it behind them just in time for the arrow to meet solid wood.

The Doctor leaned against the doors breathing heavily for a moment as Rose and Martha regarded him with amusement.

"So," he grinned. "Where to next?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope you all liked the new chapter, and look forward to reading more reviews.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Sorry, running a little late today. Crazy things afoot. Anyway, I'm going to be responding to feedback tonight, (have I mentioned how much I love you all for your reviews ) Enjoy the next chapter. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14 – Life in the Fast Lane<strong>

_"So," he grinned. "Where to next?"_

"I was thinking of maybe revisiting New, New York." he said pushing off the doors and heading over to the console as the two women turned to watch him work the controls. "Not anywhere near the hospital though," he added seeing the look on Rose's face. "At least not yet anyway. No, I thought maybe we could take in some of the sights we weren't able to see the last time."

"Okay." Rose smiled. "M' game."

"Great." he smiled back at her and began punching in coordinates. "We'll just make a quick stop in London to drop off Martha and then we'll paint the new, new town."

Rose glanced over at Martha just in time to see the excitement drain from her face. When the young woman noticed her watching, she forced a smile in attempts to hide her disappointment. "Martha," she spoke up. "Do you think you could give me and The Doctor a moment to talk?"

"Yeah." The young woman nodded, looking around the room for someplace to retreat to.

"If you'd like, you could make yourself a cuppa. The kitchen's jus' down the corridor, past the bins and to the left."

"Thanks." Martha gave her another small smile and left the room.

"You're really gonna send her home, jus' like that?" Rose said breaking the silence.

The Doctor looked up from the monitor. "I promised her one trip and one trip only."

"You were on board to invite Donna along at Christmas."

"Only because you used those feminine wiles of yours to sway my decision."

"Feminine wiles?" Rose laughed as she stepped in front of him.

"Oh come on," he said wrapping his arms around her waist and pinning her against the console. "You know I can't say no to you when you flutter your eyelashes at me and get all pouty." he leaned in capturing her lips with his own.

"So are you sayin' if I ask you'll let Martha come with us?" she asked when he pulled back.

"What, are we adopting her now?"

"M' jus' sayin' I think she deserves another trip."

"Look, I know you like her…"

"You don't?"

"Of course I do." he asserted. "She's quite brilliant, but we're starting a family soon. Don't you think we deserve our alone time? I mean, I don't understand why you're pushing so hard for this. What happened to better with two?"

"I still believe that and S' not that I don't want us to have our alone time, but somethin' about her…" she paused trying to think of how to explain it to him. "Look, S' the same way I felt when we met Donna. I have this gut feelin' that tells me they're important to our future. And even the Queen recognized her. That must tell you somethin'."

He sighed. "Weell, I suppose we could stretch the definition of 'one trip'. Take one trip into past, one trip into future. Will that work?"

She grabbed hold of his lapels, bringing his lips to hers once more and snogged him senseless. "You're the best." She said, pulling back and giving him her signature grin as she headed for the kitchen. "I'll jus' go let Martha know."

He blinked several times as he stared after her with his mouth slightly agape. Yep. He could never say no to Rose Tyler. Turning back to the console, he began entering the coordinates for New Earth.

**-oOo-**

When Rose entered the kitchen, Martha was sitting at the table staring glumly down at her mug. "Hey." she said softly.

"Hey." Martha returned her greeting, sitting up straight. "Um, there was already a large pot made if you want some." she gestured to the counter behind her.

"Ta." Rose replied going over to the cabinet to get her mug. "That's one of the many things I love about the TARDIS. Always a fresh hot pot of tea ready to go anytime you come into the kitchen." She pulled the chair across from Martha out and sat down at the table, lightly blowing the steam from her beverage before taking a sip.

"I notice you called the TARDIS a 'she' before?" Martha observed. "Does that mean the ship's alive?"

"Mmhmm." Rose nodded, swallowing. "She's sentient."

"Wow." Martha said, clearly impressed. "That's…" she grinned. "Really cool."

"I know right." Rose smiled back, and there was a soft hum that filled the room.

"What was that?" Martha asked, glancing around the kitchen.

"That was her. Consider it her way of thankin' you for the compliment."

Martha shook her head incredulously. "This is all still so unbelievable." She paused for a moment, her smile faltering. "I just want you to know, I didn't mean to cause you guys any trouble. I know he didn't really want me here and…"

Rose held her hand up to silence her. "Don't worry about any of that. I talked to him, and we'd love you to come with us to New Earth."

"Really?" Martha asked uncertainly.

"Really." she assured her. "Listen," she leaned forward slightly. "He and I have been through a lot. M' not gonna go into all the major details right now, but there's been a few close calls in which we almost lost one another and with the baby, he's even more possessive now. But none of that has anythin' to do with you. He's jus' at a stage of not really wantin' to let other people into our lives right now. He was the same way with Donna. We met her at Christmas." she added at seeing Martha's quizzical look. "He finally agreed to let her come with us, but when he asked she said no."

Martha was slightly surprised. "I know some of this stuff you guys deal with is scary, and I'm sure the things I've seen so far probably don't compare to half of what you've seen, but it's also exhilarating. I mean, I've only been with you guys for what, three days?" Rose nodded in confirmation. "And I don't know how anyone would want to turn this opportunity down."

"I knew I liked you for a reason Martha Jones." Rose chuckled. "Hopefully you and I can have more of these 'girl talk sessions' as we get to know each other yeah?"

Martha grinned. "I'd like that."

Rose returned her smile as she stood up from the table. "So what do you say, ready for another trip?"

"Definitely."

The two women set their empty mugs in the sink and headed off towards the console room for their next adventure.

**-oOo-**

The Doctor was just flipping the materialization lever as they walked into the room. "Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth." he announced. "Second hope of mankind. Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New, New York." he quickly slipped his coat on as he headed down the ramp to join them. "Although, as I've already told Rose, technically it's the fifteenth New York from the original, so it's New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New York." They shared a knowing grin as he reached for her hand. "And one of the most dazzling cities ever built."

Even though she had her reservations after what happened with Cassandra on their first trip, Rose was genuinely excited about being able to see the city this time around. Unfortunately when they stepped out of the TARDIS doors, it wasn't the delightful smell of apple grass under a beautiful blue sky that greeted them. Instead they were met with a cold, dark alley and it was pouring rain.

"I don't get it." Martha said, shielding her eyes from the raindrops. "It looks like the same old Earth to me, on a Wednesday afternoon."

"I'd have to agree Doctor." Rose said as she took in their surroundings. "This doesn't look anything like it did the first time we were here."

"Hold on, hold on. Let's have a look." He told them, as he led them over to a small monitor under an awning. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the screen.

The monitor flashed static for a moment and then was replaced with the image of a young woman at a news desk. "And the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New, New Jersey expressway." She said as the screen then flashed to a picture of the traffic over Manhattan.

"Oh, that's more like it." he said, tapping the screen. "That's the view we had last time." He turned to look back out into the alleyway. "This must be the lower levels, down in the base of the tower. Some sort of under-city."

"You took us to the slums?" Martha said in disbelief.

"Much more interesting." He said in his defense. "It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city."

Rose giggled. "You enjoy everythin'."

"That's me." He grinned. "Ah, the rain's stopping. Better and better."

As they stepped back out from under the awning, The Doctor noticed Rose was slightly shivering. Removing his coat, he placed it over her shoulders. "Better?" he asked as he turned her to face him so that he could adjust the front.

She nodded with a soft smile and he leaned in to kiss her, hands still gripping the sides of the coat as hers came to rest on his chest when a metallic scraping sound broke them apart.

Across from them a man had opened the metal awning to his vendor's cart. "Oh! You should have said." He exclaimed excitedly when he saw them. "How long you been there? Happy. You want Happy."

At the sound of his sales pitch, two more awnings opened.

"Customers. Customers! We've got customers!" The first woman said.

"We're in business." The second woman agreed. "Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read."

Within seconds, all three vendors were shouting over one another in attempts to peddle their wares.

"Happy, Happy, lovely happy Happy!"

"Anger. Buy some Anger!"

"Get some Mellow. Makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long."

"Don't go to them." The man implored the trio. "They'll rip you off. Do you want some happy?"

"No, thanks." The Doctor replied flatly.

Rose was appalled. "Are they sellin' drugs?

He looked around at the vendors once more. "I think they're selling moods."

"Isn't that pretty much the same thing?" Martha pointed out.

"Over here, sweetheart!" One of the female venders called out. "That's it, come on, I'll get you first!"

The three time travelers looked over to see a young girl dressed in mostly rags enter the alleyway.

"Oi! Oi, you! Over here! Over here!" The male vendor shouted. "Buy some Happy!"

Ignoring him, she approached the female vendor, looking up at her with red rimmed eyes.

"And what can I get you, my love?" The vendor cooed.

The young girl sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "I want to buy Forget."

"I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much do you want forgetting?"

"It's my mother and father." The girl's voice wavered. "They went on the motorway."

The vendor tsked. "Oh, that's a swine. Try this." She handed her what looked like a clear circular Band-Aid. "Forget Forty three. That's two credits."

"Sorry, but hold on a minute." The Doctor said, interrupting the transaction. "What happened to your parents?"

The girl sniffed again. "They drove off."

"Yeah, but they might drive back."

She shook her head. "Everyone goes to the motorway in the end. I've lost them."

"But M' sure they can't have gone far." Rose interjected. The young girl stared at her for a moment as though she was deliberating. "We could help you find them." Rose could see the moment that the decision was reached and her pleas of "No. No, no, don't." fell on deaf ears as the girl lifted up the mood patch and placed it on her neck, sending her into an almost trance-like state.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" she asked.

"Your parents." The Doctor reminded her. "Your mother and father, they're on the motorway."

"Are they?" she replied dreamily. "That's nice." She turned to leave. "I'm sorry, I won't keep you."

"So that's the human race five billion years in the future?" Martha asked incredulously. "Off their heads on chemicals?"

"Not if we have anythin' to say about it." Rose spoke up. "Doctor, we need to…" The rest of her sentence was replaced by a loud yelp as she was grabbed from behind.

The Doctor spun around to see her being restrained by a young man, holding a gun to her head while his female counterpart pointed a second gun at him and Martha to keep them at bay. The vendors wanting no part in the altercation quickly shut their awnings, leaving the trio to fend for themselves.

"I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry." The man holding onto Rose said. "We just need three, that's all."

Martha was looking around frantically for anything that might help extricate Rose from their grasp, but came up with nothing. She glanced back over at The Doctor for instructions and a chill ran down her spine. The look in his eyes was almost feral and his lips were twisted into an almost predatory snarl as he remained fixated on the gun pressed to Rose's head.

"I'm warning you," he said through gritted teeth as he took a step forward. "Let her go! If you need help, I can help; we can all help. But if you don't release her to me. There will be no place in this universe that I won't find you."

A look of panic crossed over the female kidnapper's features for a moment and then she shook her head, "I'm sorry." she said, keeping the gun trained on The Doctor as he continued to edge forward. "I'm really sorry."

Rose was trying to struggle out of the man's grip, but the weight of The Doctor's coat draped over her shoulders kept her arms bound and the length of the material kept her from being able to stomp on the man's feet. Realizing she would not be able to free herself, her eyes met The Doctor's for a brief second and saw the fear she felt reflected in their depths before a door was slammed and locked, separating them. She could still hear The Doctor's screams from the other side of the door as he attempted to break it down, while her captors dragged her along the passageway towards a large box-like vehicle.

"Are you sure this was a good idea?" The young woman asked the man worriedly, glancing behind them.

"Sweetheart, we need three. It's the only way."

"Yeah, I know. It's just… He was so angry. I mean if looks could kill."

"Oh believe me; you do not want to be on his bad side." Rose told her. "But right now, you should be more worried about what M' gonna do when I get free if you don't let me go right now."

"Give her some Sleep." The man said in frustration.

"No!" Rose screamed, thrashing about in his arms. "Don't put that on me!"

"It's just Sleep Fourteen." The woman tried to reassure her as she showed her the little clear patch. "It will be ok, don't fight it."

"No! Get it away!" she screamed again. "I'm begging you don't put it on me!" Tears were streaming down Rose's face now, and the young woman looked taken aback by her reaction.

"Okay, okay." she put her hands up trying to calm her. "I won't use it if you'll agree to calm down and get in the car quietly."

Rose nodded in defeat and climbed into the backseat of what from the inside now looked like a large camper. She was not going to do anything that would jeopardize the safety of her daughter; even it meant surrendering for the time being. For now she would just have to wait for the right opportunity to present itself and allow her to escape or hope that The Doctor could find her before they got too far away.

Once they were all seated, the young man started the engine. "Engaging anti-gravs. Hold on." He released the hand break and lifted up the transmitter. "This is car four six five diamond six. We have three passengers, repeat three. Request access to the fast lane."

"ACCESS GRANTED." The computer responded.

"Oh, yes." He smiled and leaned over to give his partner a kiss.

Movement outside the window caught Rose's attention and she pressed her hands to the glass as she leaned forward to look out. She could see The Doctor standing against the railing of the fire escape, his face contorted in anguish. "Doctor!" she mouthed silently as the car began to rise up from the ground, knowing screaming would do no good.

"Rose!" he screamed as the car turned and sped off down the narrow passage. "Roooose!" His knuckles had turned white from how hard he was gripping onto the railing and he slumped forward, breathing heavily as the fear and anger took full reign.

"We'll get her back Doctor." Martha tried to reassure him. She placed a hand on his shoulder in attempts to offer some comfort, which he quickly shrugged off and angrily stalked back through the door leading to the alley. She knew he was upset and worried about Rose, but she also couldn't help feeling slightly offended by the way he kept blowing her off when she was only attempting to help. Sighing, she resolutely turned to follow him back inside.

They made their way back through the alley, and he immediately went over to the closest vending station to them, banging as loudly as possible.

"Thought you'd come back." The woman said cheerfully as she opened the metal awning. "Do you want some happy, happy?"

"Those people," The Doctor growled. "Who were they? Where did they take her?"

Two other awnings opened up behind him. "They've taken her to the motorway." The male vendor told them.

"Looked like carjackers to me." The woman agreed.

"I'd give up now, darling." said the other female vendor. "You won't see her again."

"Used to be thriving, this place." The man continued. "You couldn't move." He shook his head sadly. "But they all go to the motorway in the end."

The Doctor turned back to the first woman. "He kept on saying three, we need three. What did he mean three?"

"It's the car-sharing policy, to save fuel. You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"This motorway. How do I get there?"

"Straight down the alley, keep going to the end." She directed. "You canna miss it. Tell you what. How about some happy Happy? Then you'll be smiling, my love."

He turned back to look at her then, every bit of the Oncoming Storm raging in his eyes. "Word of advice, all of you. Cash up, close down and pack your bags."

"Why's that, then?" she asked, her smile faltering.

"Because as soon as I've found her, alive and well," His eyes narrowed as his voice took a deeper octave. "And I will find her alive and well." He looked between the three of them. "Then I'm coming back, and this street is closing tonight!"

And on that final note, he turned and strode back down the alley towards the motorway with Martha on his heels, leaving the three vendors gaping after him in shock.

**-oOo-**

"Now you just settle back. It's all going to be worth it." The young man called to Rose over his shoulder.

"Yeah," The girl chimed in. "The view from the windows. You can see all the way out to the flatlands. Clear blue sky. They say the air smells like apple grass. Can you imagine?"

"The houses are made of wood. There are jobs going in the foundries. Everyone says so."

As the pair continued to talk distractedly, Rose noticed one of the guns lying within reach and knew that this was the opportunity she had been waiting for. Carefully she reached out and grabbed it, her hand shaking slightly as she pointed it towards her captors. "Take me back!" she demanded as the pair stopped talking and turned their attention to her. "Whoever you are, just take me back to The Doctor. That's all I want. I won't cause any trouble. Just take me back."

"I'm sorry." The young woman shook her head. "That's not a real gun."

"Yeah, you'd say that wouldn't you, considerin' your position now."

The other woman scoffed. "Where do you get a gun from, these days? I wouldn't even know how to fire."

"Unfortunately for you, I do."

The woman turned around more fully to face her now. "Look, I know we started out on the wrong foot…"

"Ya think?"

"Ok, so let's start over. What's your name?

"Rose. Rose Tyler."

"Well, I'm Cheen," she said, pressing a hand to her chest. "And this is Milo." she gestured towards the man next to her. "And I swear we're sorry. We're really, really sorry. We just needed access to the fast line, but I promise, as soon as we arrive, we'll drop you off and you can go back and find your friends."

"Seriously?" Rose asked, lowering the gun.

Cheen nodded. "I swear! Look. Honesty patch." She pointed at a small clear circle on her neck with the word 'Honesty' printed on it.

Rose eyed the patch with a look of disdain. "I don't care if you're hopped up on truth serum. You kidnapped me." She spat, making Cheen shift uncomfortably in her chair. Sighing, she rubbed her temple lightly. The inside of the vehicle was quite warm and she was starting to feel the beginnings of a headache coming on. Shrugging out of The Doctor's coat, she laid it down on the seat behind her and turned back to her would be kidnappers to find Cheen gaping at her.

"Are you…are you pregnant?"

"Yeah." Rose looked down at her stomach, stroking it softly.

"Oh my god," she grinned. "Me too!"

"Are you expectin' me to congratulate you?" Rose asked bitterly.

"You're right." Cheen said quietly. "I deserve that, but I swear to you we've never done anything like this before. We're not kidnappers."

"Ok, fine." Rose conceded. "You're idiots then." she reached out and pulled the honesty patch from Cheen's neck and tossed it into the bin on the floor. "And how can you be usin' that stuff when you're pregnant?"

"Oh," she waved her hand in nonchalance. "It's perfectly safe."

"Yeah, well M' not willin' to take that chance." Rose muttered, glancing out the window, unable to see anything but a few tail lights shrouded in a dense grey mist. "Where are we, anyway?"

"We're on the motorway." Milo said.

"So what's all that, then? Fog?

Cheen chuckled. "Nah, that's the exhaust fumes."

"We're going out to Brooklyn." Milo explained. "Everyone says the air's so much cleaner, and we couldn't stay in Pharmacy Town with the baby coming."

Cheen nodded in agreement before turning back towards Rose. "So do you know what you're having yet?" she asked.

Rose managed a small smile. "S' a girl."

"That's so great. We got our scan last week." Cheen said, reaching out for Milo's hand. "It's going to be a boy."

Rose looked back at the young couple who seemed so full of hope. They may have gone about the situation the wrong way, but she couldn't fault them for wanting to make a better life for themselves and their children, and her anger slowly abated. "Congratulations." She told them sincerely and the couple smiled.

"This'll be as fast as we can." Milo assured her. "We'll take the motorway to the Brooklyn flyover, and then after that it's going to take a while, because then there's no fast lane, just ordinary roads, but at least it's direct."

"It's only ten miles." Cheen added.

"So how long do you think it will take?" Rose asked.

Cheen calculated the math in her head before giving her response. "About six years."

"What?!" Rose shouted, grabbing onto the table next to her as she stumbled backwards in shock.

"Just in time for our kids to start school."

"No, sorry, hold on." Rose shook her head in disbelief as her anger took over once more. "M' pretty sure I heard you wrong, 'cause there is no way it takes six years to go ten miles!"

**-oOo-**

Using his sonic on the lock, The Doctor quickly gained them access to the motorway. Pushing open the large metal door, he and Martha stepped out onto a small balcony and into what looked like thick grey mist.

"Oh my god, what is this stuff?" she asked, waving a hand in front of her face as she began to cough.

"Exhaust fumes." He replied, attempting to bury his nose into the sleeve of his suit jacket as he stared out at the endless number of stationary cars lining the motorway. Within seconds the amount of smog in the air was even too much for his respiratory bypass and he began coughing just as violently as Martha.

Across from them, the door to one of the cars slid open and a man dressed in a WW2 flying jacket appeared, wearing a helmet, goggles and a large white scarf across his nose and mouth.

"Hey! You daft little street struts." He shouted at the pair in a thick Irish accent. "What are you doing standing there? Either get out or get in. Come on!"

The Doctor glanced over at Martha who shrugged as she continued to cough and then gestured for her to get into the vehicle. Moving across the small lay-by, Martha quickly hopped into the car with The Doctor following after her; both gasping for breath once the door was closed.

"Did you ever see the like?" The man shook his head as a dark haired woman came over to offer them oxygen masks."

"Here you go." She said, as she helped place them over their heads.

"Just standing there, breathing it in." The man continued incredulously as he removed the coverings from his face, causing Martha's eyes to widen in shock. "There's this story, says back in the old days, on Junction forty seven, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet."

"Oh, you're making it up." The dark haired woman laughed.

"A fifty foot head!" he insisted. "Just think of it. Imagine picking that nose."

"Oh, stop it." She crossed her arms. "That's disgusting."

"What, did you never pick your nose?"

"Bran, we're moving." She told him, ignoring the question.

"Right. I'm there. I'm on it." He said, releasing the parking break.

The car shuddered slightly as he put it into drive and Martha took the opportunity to pull the oxygen mask from her face and whisper to The Doctor. "He's a cat."

"Don't stare." He chided as he removed his own mask from his face.

The car moved a couple of feet before coming to an abrupt halt.

"Twenty yards." The half human/half cat man said, pulling back up on the parking break. "We're having a good day. And who might you two be?" he asked turning back to their guests. "Very well-dressed for hitchhikers."

"Sorry," The Doctor said, extending his hand to their rescuer. "Thanks for the help. I'm the Doctor and this is Martha Jones."

"Soon to be Doctor." Martha smiled, extending her hand as well.

"Ah lovely, medical personnel! My name's Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie."

"Nice to meet you." Valerie said shaking their hands.

"And that's the rest of the family behind you." Brannigan pointed towards the large curtain at their backs.

The Doctor reached up and slowly drew back the material, revealing a small basket containing about five kittens.

"Aww." Martha gushed, forgetting about the strangeness of the situation for the time being and instead focusing on how adorable the kittens were.

"May I hold one?" Martha asked and Valerie nodded with a smile. Reaching down, she picked up a black and brown kitten with white paws, cooing as she cuddled it.

"Hello." The Doctor said gently as he stroked the kitten's head. "How old are they?"

Valerie gazed upon her children fondly. "Just two months."

"Poor little souls." Brannigan shook his head sadly. "They've never known the ground beneath their paws. Children of the motorway."

"You mean they were born in here?" Martha asked in astonishment.

Valerie nodded. "We couldn't stop. We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we'd take a chance."

"What, you've been driving for two months?" The Doctor said, now looking as equally surprised.

Brannigan scoffed. "Do I look like a teenager? We've been driving for twelve years now."

"I'm sorry?"

"Yeah! Started out as newlyweds. Feels like yesterday."

Valerie rolled her eyes. "Feels like twelve years to me."

"Ah, sweetheart, but you still love me." Brannigan teased as he leaned over to tickle his wife until she playfully batted him away.

"Twelve years?" The Doctor looked between them, still trying to wrap his mind around that timeframe. "How far did you come? Where did you start?"

"Battery Park. It's five miles back."

"You travelled five miles in twelve years?" The Doctor said in disbelief as Martha simultaneously shouted "That's all?"

Brannigan raised an eyebrow and leaned towards his wife. "I think they're a bit slow." he said out the side of his mouth.

"Where are you two from anyway?" Valerie asked.

"Never mind that." The Doctor waved off the question. "I've got to get out. Martha, we need to get back to the TARDIS." he pulled open the door and was hit with a wave of exhaust, sending him into a coughing fit.

Martha quickly closed the door and seeing the confused looks on the couple's faces attempted to explain. "Our friend's in one of these cars. She was taken hostage and we need to find her. "

"Well, I'm afraid it's too late to get out." Brannigan informed them. "We've passed the lay-by. You're both just passengers now."

"When's the next lay-by?" The Doctor asked, breathing heavily.

"Oooh, six months?"

**-oOo-**

Milo continued the car's descent into the lower traffic levels as Rose stared out the window. After finding out she could possibly be separated from The Doctor for six years while having to deliver her baby in a camper amongst strangers instead of her family, she promptly had a panic attack. The attack lasted for about five minutes, in which four and a half of those were spent breathing into a paper bag Cheen had found. Once she had gotten herself under control she had opted for sitting quietly with her face pressed against the window, praying for The Doctor to find her as soon as possible.

"How many cars do ya' think are out there?" she wondered aloud, finally breaking the silence.

"I don't think anyone knows." Cheen held up a package of what looked like rice cakes. "Here we go. Hungry?"

Rose shook her head. "No thanks. So jus' how far down is this fast lane?"

"Oh, it's right at the bottom, underneath the traffic jam." Milo said over his shoulder. "But not many people can afford three passengers, so it's empty down there. Rumor has it you can reach up to thirty miles per hour."

"Great." Rose replied slowly, unimpressed. "And how exactly are we s'pose to live inside this thing for six years? I mean, S' tiny."

"Oh, we stocked up." Cheen said, gesturing towards the crates in the back. "Got self-replicating fuel, muscle stimulants for exercise, and there's a chemical toilet at the back. And all waste products are recycled as food."

Rose grimaced at the implications of that statement, thankful that she had rejected Cheen's offer of dinner.

A pinging sound drew their attention to the monitor. "CAR SIGN IN." The computer stated.

"Oh, another gap. This is brilliant." Milo announced excitedly as he picked up the transmitter and began speaking into it. "Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, on descent to fast lane, thank you very much."

"PLEASE DRIVE SAFELY." The computer responded as they moved down to the next level.

**-oOo-**

Martha sat quietly with the kitten still in her lap as she watched The Doctor attempt to hack into the communications system with his sonic screwdriver, growing more and more agitated by the second.

"I need to talk to the police!" he yelled into the transmitter.

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR CALL." The computer stated. "YOU HAVE BEEN PLACED ON HOLD."

"But you're the police." he argued, receiving the same automated response as before. Sighing in frustration, he threw the transmitter down and walked back towards the front of the camper. "Is there anyone else?" he inquired. "I once met the Duke of Manhattan. Is there any way of getting through to him?"

"Oh now, ain't you lordly?" Brannigan said; a slight mocking tone to his voice.

The Doctor chose to ignore the irony of that statement. "I've got to find Rose." he insisted irritably, running a hand through his hair.

"You can't make outside calls." Valerie interjected. "The motorway's completely enclosed."

"What about the other cars?" Martha asked, coming up behind The Doctor. "Can you contact other cars directly?"

"Oh, we've got contact with them, yeah." Brannigan nodded. "Well, some of them, anyway. They've got to be on your friends list." He began scrolling through the contacts on his computer screen. "Now, let's see. Who's nearby?" The screen popped up an image of two elderly women standing side by side. "Ah, the Cassini sisters!" Tapping the button for their car number he picked up the transmitter. "Still your hearts, my handsome girls. It's Brannigan here."

"Get off the line, Brannigan." Said a woman's voice. "You're a pest and a menace."

"Oh, come on, now, sisters." He tutted. "Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

"You know full well we're not sisters." The woman replied. "May and I are married."

"Ooo, stop that modern talk Alice. I'm an old-fashioned cat." He teased. "Now, I've got a couple of hitchhikers here that call themselves…"

The Doctor's impatience quickly got the better of him as he snatched the transmitter from Brannigan, cutting him off. "Hello, sorry to interrupt." he told the woman on the other end of the line. "I'm The Doctor, and I'm looking for someone called Rose Tyler. She's been carjacked. She's inside one of these vehicles, but I don't know which one."

"Wait a minute." A second woman's voice called out. "Could I ask, what entrance did they use?"

The Doctor glanced over at Brannigan. "Where were we?"

"Pharmacy Town."

"Pharmacy Town." The Doctor repeated. "About twenty minutes ago."

"Let's have a look." she said.

"Just my luck to marry a car-spotter, right May?" Alice chuckled.

The line went silent for a few moments before May spoke up again. "In the last half hour, fifty three new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction."

"Anything more specific?" The Doctor pressed.

"All in good time." she said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Was she car-jacked by two people?"

"Yes, she was, yeah."

"There we are. Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane." May confirmed. "That means they had three on board. And car number is four six five diamond six."

"That's it! So how do we find them?"

"Ah. Now there I'm afraid I can't help."

The Doctor turned back to Brannigan. "Call them on this thing. We've got their number. Diamond six."

"But not if they're designated fast lane." He remonstrated. "It's a different class."

"You could try the police." May suggested.

"Yeah, did that. They put me on hold." The Doctor replied.

"You'll have to keep trying." Alice persisted. "There's no one else."

"Thank you." he told the two women, before handing the transmitter back to Brannigan. Sighing, he ran hand through his hair and pulled his sonic back out of his pocket, heading back towards the opposite end of the camper to try contacting the police again. As he passed by Martha, she offered a reassuring smile, and even though he knew she meant well, nothing was going to make him feel better until Rose was safely back in his arms.

**-oOo-**

"See? Another ten layers to go. We're scorching." Milo said triumphantly as they continued their journey towards the fast lane.

As Rose continued to stare out the window at the stationary traffic, she heard a low growling sound. "What was that?" she asked, pressing closer to the window and looking downwards. "It sounds like S' comin' from underneath."

"It's that noise, isn't it?" Cheen asked Milo. "It's like Kate said. The stories, they're true."

"What stories?" Rose turned to face her.

"It's the sound of the air vents." Milo contended. "That's all. The exhaust fumes travel down, so at the base of the tunnel they've got air vents."

"No, but the stories are much better." Cheen said, her eyes alight with fervor as she scooted forward in her seat. "They say people go missing on the motorway. Some cars just vanish, never to be seen again, because there's something living down there in the smoke. Something huge and hungry. And if you get lost on the road, it's waiting for you." The growling sound came again as though to add further foreboding to her statement.

"But like I said," Milo reiterated. "Air vents." He adjusted their speed as they began to descend again. "Going down to the next layer."

"Well, from up here, it doesn't really look like the air vents are working." Rose pointed out. "Does it?"

"No." Cheen agreed.

"So then S' gotta be somethin' else. And whatever it is, it doesn't sound friendly"

"Nah." Milo disagreed, clearly blowing off her concerns. "Kid stuff." He picked up the transmitter again. "Car four six five diamond six, on descent."

**-oOo-**

The Doctor was beyond frustrated now, and at the moment Martha couldn't even come up with a word that would give description to his demeanor. He was pacing back and forth rapidly in the small confines of the camper, wide-eyed and muttering to himself. His hair stood out at odd angles from the way he kept running his hands through it and tugging on the strands and she was pretty sure if she didn't find a way to calm him down soon he was going to end up either bald or the friction his feet were generating on the carpeted floor was going to set the camper on fire. As she was weighing her options, he finally came to an abrupt halt, stalking back towards the driver's area and gripping onto the backs of the chairs so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"We've got to go to the fast lane." He told them. "Take me down."

Brannigan scoffed. "Not in a million years."

"You've got three passengers." The Doctor pointed out.

Brannigan shook his head. "I'm still not going."

"She doesn't belong on this planet, she belongs with me. I brought her here, and it's my fault she's in trouble. I'm asking you Brannigan," he pleaded. "Take me down."

"That's a no!" Valerie snapped. "And that's final. I'm not risking the children down there."

"Why not?" he asked, an uneasy feeling coming over him. "What's the risk? What happens down there?"

"We're not discussing it." She crossed her arms and turned her back on him. "The conversation is closed."

"So we keep on driving." The Doctor said. It wasn't a question.

"Yes, we do". Brannigan nodded.

Martha, seeing The Doctor's struggle to remain rationally calm with their hosts decided to pose her own question. "For how long?"

"Till the journey's end." Brannigan replied firmly. His tone indicating no room for discussion.

The Doctor glared down at him for a moment before snatching the transmitter from the dash. "Mrs. Cassini, this is the Doctor again. Tell me, how long have you been driving on the motorway?"

"Oh, we were amongst the first." Alice said. "It's been twenty three years now."

"And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?"

There was a moment of silence and then May answered instead. "I'm not sure."

**"**Look at your notes." The Doctor instructed her. "Any police?"

**"**Not as such."

"An ambulance maybe?" he continued. "Rescue service? Anything official ever?"

"I can't keep a note of everything." she stammered, sounding somewhat uneasy.

**"**What if there's no one out there?" he replied ominously.

Brannigan quickly yanked the transmitter from his hands. "Stop it." he hissed. "The Cassinis were doing you a favor."

The Doctor's eyes grew cold and he lowered his voice menacingly. "Someone's got to ask, because you might not talk about it, but it's there in your eyes. What if the traffic jam never stops?"

Brannigan shook his head. "There's a whole city above us. The mighty city state of New, New York. They wouldn't just leave us."

"In that case, where are they, hmm? What if there's no help coming, not ever?"

"Doctor, that's not going to help get Rose back." Martha chided. "All you're doing is scaring them."

"What if there's nothing?" he continued, ignoring her pleas for him to stop. "Just the motorway, with the cars going round and round and round and round, never stopping. Forever."

"Shut up!" Valerie screamed, putting her hands over her ears. "Just shut up!"

The monitor suddenly kicked on with a buzzing of static, startling everyone before changing over to an image of a young woman at a news desk. "This is Sally Calypso, and it's that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation."

"You think you know us so well, Doctor. But we're not abandoned." Brannigan said quietly, but with conviction. "Not while we have each other." He glanced over at Valerie, who gave him a soft smile.

"This is for all of you out there on the roads." Sally continued. "We're so sorry. Drive safe."

A soft melody started to play as Brannigan and Valerie began singing along. Martha soon joined in as well, the powerful hymn seeming to have overwhelmed her as a lone tear ran down her face. The Doctor watched them silently for a few moments, but when he saw Brannigan reach for Valerie's hand something inside him seemed to snap. With his teeth bared, he turned and stalked towards the back of the camper, pulling the curtain shut behind him.

**-oOo-**

Rose remained silent throughout the song, refusing to let herself breakdown. It had been exceptionally moving, but she kept telling herself that crying wouldn't help the situation and it would only make her feel like she was allowing herself to give up. Shortly after the hymn had ended, they were granted access to the fast lane, but upon reaching that level Milo and Cheen began to realize that all of their plans and efforts to get there had been for nothing.

"Try again." Cheen said impatiently.

Milo reached out and tapped the button on the screen labeled Exit 1.

"BROOKLYN TURNOFF ONE, CLOSED." The Computer stated.

"Try the next one." She urged.

He tapped Exit 2 and the computer again denied them access. "BROOKLYN TURNOFF TWO, CLOSED."

Cheen looked over at him worriedly. "What do we do?"

"We'll keep going round. We'll do the whole loop, and by the time we come back round, they'll be open." He told her as they heard the growling sound again and the car shuddered.

"You still want to blame that noise on the air vents?" Rose asked, sarcastically.

Milo looked slightly annoyed. "What else could it be?" he said as the car began to shake again.

Cheen gripped onto the sides of her seat, looking around frantically. "What the hell is that?"

"It's just the hydraulics." Milo told her, trying to offer reassurance although he looked like he didn't believe it himself.

"Actually, it sounds like S' alive." Rose argued.

Milo shook his head. "It's all exhaust fumes out there. Nothing could breathe in that."

The radio emitted a loud wave of feedback and then a frantic sounding female voice came through. "Calling Car four six five diamond six! Repeat, calling Car four six five diamond six!"

Milo picked up the transmitter and brought it to his lips. "This is Car four six five diamond six." He said. "Who's that? Where are you?"

"The name's Javit." She said. "I'm in the fast lane, about fifty yards behind. Can you get back up? Can you get off the fast lane?"

"We only have permission to go down. We need the Brooklyn Flyover."

"It's closed." She replied. "Go back up."

"We can't. We'll just go round."

"Don't you understand?" she said, her voice breaking. "They're closed. They're always closed. We're stuck down here, and there's something else out there in the fog. Can't you hear it?" The car shook again as the growling grew louder.

"That's the air vents." Milo argued.

"Jehovah, what are you, some stupid kid?" she chastised him. "Get out of here!" Her order was followed by a loud crashing noise and several screams.

"What was that?" Milo asked, slightly panicking now as the growling grew louder.

"I can't move!" Javit sounded terrified. "They've got us!"

"But what's happening?" he asked again. "What's got you? What is it?"

"Just drive, you idiots!" she screamed back. "Get out of here!" There was another loud banging noise; several more screams and then the line went dead.

"Can you hear me?" Milo shouted into the transmitter. "Hello?"

Rose grabbed the device out of his hand and tossed it onto the dash. "Jus' drive! Do what she said and get us the hell out of here!"

"But where?"

"Doesn't matter where." she told him. "Jus' go straight ahead. And fast!"

"What is it?" Cheen whimpered. "What's out there?"

"I don't know." Rose shook her head. "But if we don't get out of here, we're next."

**-oOo-**

Martha stood quietly; arms crossed as she observed The Doctor attempting to deliberate with himself. After he had stalked off during the hymn, she thought it would be better to give him a few minutes alone to calm down before she tried talking to him. However, when she made her way to the back of the camper, instead of the frantic, angry pacing she had been expecting, she instead found him sitting on the edge of the bed, brows furrowed in concentration and staring off into space. Looking down at the time on her phone, she realized he hadn't moved from that position in over five minutes. She rubbed her temple and sighed, deciding enough was enough, but as she opened her mouth to speak, he cut her off.

"If they won't take me, I'll go down on my own." He said firmly as he looked up at her, eyes daring her to argue.

Martha put her hands on her hips. "And how exactly are you going to do that?"

"By finding my own way." He said as he brushed past her, pulling his sonic from his pocket. "I usually do."

Pushing back the separation curtain, and walking over to the area just behind the driver and passenger seats, he stooped down and began to sonic open the trapdoor in the floorboard.

"CAPSULE OPEN." The computer stated.

"What do you think you're doing?" Brannigan asked, as he spun his chair around.

"I can't make you go down there, but I'm going after Rose." Standing up, he turned to Martha and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I need you to stay here. You'll be safe with them."

Looking into his yes, she could see his conviction and knew nothing anyone said was going to deter him. So reaching up, she took his hands in her own and gave him a soft smile. "Go get her."

He returned her smile, accompanied with a slight nod and then knelt back down next to the trapdoor calculating the distance between the car they were in and the one that had just pulled up below.

Valerie's eyes widened in disbelief. "But you can't jump."

"If it's any consolation Valerie," he said, looking up at her. "Right now, I'm having kittens."

"This Rose, she must mean an awful lot to you." Brannigan observed.

The Doctor glanced over at Valerie for a moment before meeting his eyes. "Let's just say, she's the bane of my existence." He said with a grin as he lowered his legs into the hole in the floor. "Bye then."

The trio watched as he dropped down onto the roof of the car below and began sonicing open the top hatch.

"He's completely insane!" Valerie blurted out.

"Oh yeah, he's absolutely barmy." Martha said with a grin.

Brannigan chuckled. "That and a bit magnificent!"

**-oOo-**

"CAPSULE OPEN." The computer stated as The Doctor lifted the roof hatch and dropped down into the vehicle.

"Who the hell are you?"

Getting to his feet, he saw an Albino gentleman staring at him in awe. "Hello. Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol. I'm doing a survey. How are you enjoying your motorway?" he asked as he began to sonic the trapdoor on the floor.

"Well," The man shrugged. "Not very much. Junction Five's been closed for three years."

The computer signaled the latches' release and The Doctor began lowering himself through the opening. "Thank you. Your comments have been noted. Have a nice day!" When he landed on the next car, he repeated the process, borrowing a bandana from the two young Asian women inside and tying it around his face to help with the intensity of the fumes. "Not my color, but thank you very much." He said with a wink as he dropped through the floor.

He continued his descent downwards, car by car, even passing through one housing a couple of nudists, which he was positive Jack would have enjoyed. Dropping into what he was sure would be the last car leading to his final destination, he ripped the bandana from his face, wiping away the sweat on his brow and wheezing heavily.

"Excuse me, is that legal?"

The Doctor looked up to see a man in a bowler hat and dark pinstriped suit staring back at him curiously.

"Sorry," The Doctor coughed. "Motorway Foot Patrol. Whatever." He shook his head to clear it. "Have you got any water?"

"Certainly." The man picked up a small plastic cone and proceeded to fill it with water from a nearby cooler. "Never let it be said I've lost my manners." He said handing the drink to The Doctor.

"Is this the last layer?" he asked, downing the water in one sip.

"We're right at the bottom." The man confirmed. "Nothing below us but the fast lane."

"Can we drive down?"

"There's only two of us. You need three to go down."

"Couldn't we just cheat?" The Doctor whined exasperatedly.

"Well, I'd love to," The man confessed. "But it's an automated system. The wheel would lock."

The Doctor sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, then excuse me." He spun around and headed for the trapdoor.

"You can't jump." The man said incredulously. "It's a thousand feet down."

"Not jumping, I just want to look." The Doctor reassured him as a low growl resonated from below. "What's that noise?"

"I…" the man swallowed roughly. "I try not to think about it."

The Doctor continued to wave the fumes away from his face as he stared down into the murky clouds of exhaust below. "What are those lights? What's down there? I just need to see." He stood up abruptly and ran over towards the computer screen, using his sonic to try to bypass the main system. "There must be some sort of ventilation. If I could just transmit a pulse through this thing, maybe I could trip the system; give us a bit of a breeze." Pulling out the monitor, he started working on the wiring underneath. After a few seconds, he switched off the sonic, beaming proudly. "That's it!" he stood up and walked back over the trap door. "Might shift the fumes a bit, give us a good look."

The other man moved over to join him, leaning over the opening and peering down into the thick fog. "What are those shapes?"

"They're alive." The Doctor uttered as the mist began to slowly dissipate, allowing them to see what was responsible for the growling noises coming from below. The giant crab-like creatures scuttled across the bottom surface extending their claws as far as they could reach in attempts to capture the cars hovering above them.

"What the hell are they?" The man asked in alarm.

The Doctor let out a shuddering breath. "Macra."

**-oOo-**

The car was shaking violently, as it was batted around from all directions, and Rose had to hold onto the seat to keep herself upright.

"Go faster!" Cheen screamed, slightly hysterical.

"I'm at top speed!" he yelled back, trying to maneuver the car through the sea of claws reaching for them. He tapped on the computer screen once more, but he was again met with the response "NO ACCESS ABOVE."

"But this is an emergency!" he shouted into the transmitter.

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR CALL." The system responded. "YOU HAVE BEEN PLACED ON HOLD."

"Turn everythin' off." Rose demanded

Milo looked back at her in "You've got to be joking."

"M' telling' you, with all that fog out there they won't be able to see us?"

"So…?" he prompted.

"So turn everythin' off. The lights, the engine, all of it. If they can't hear or see us, they won't be able to attack."

"What if you're wrong?"

"Would you rather continue playin' frogger and hope for the best?" she shot back.

Milo shook his head in frustration and cut the power. The engines immediately shut off along with the lights, sending them into complete darkness and all at once, the shaking subsided.

Cheen took several shuddering breaths as they listened to the resounding silence that now filled the air and closed her eyes in relief. "They've stopped."

"Yeah, but they're still out there." Milo retorted.

Cheen gave Milo an exasperated look and then turned back to Rose. "How did you think of that?"

"Well, those things down there kinda look like crabs and I know that their vision isn't as good when there's no movement, so I took a shot." she shrugged. "Beyond that, I have no clue on how to proceed."

"Well, you'd better think of something," Milo told her. "Because we've lost the aircon. If we don't switch the engines back on, we won't be able to breathe." Cheen's face paled at the implications of his statement as she attempted to hold back her tears.

"How long have we got?" Rose asked quietly.

"Eight minutes, maximum." he replied.

Rose took a deep breath and lowered herself onto the floor. _'Oh Doctor, where are you?'_

**-oOo-**

"The Macra used to be the scourge of this galaxy." The Doctor was explaining. "Gas. They fed off gas, the filthier the better. They built up a small empire using humans as slaves and mining gas for food."

The other man scoffed. "They don't exactly look like empire builders to me."

"Weell, that was billions of years ago. Billions. They must have devolved down the years. Now they're just beasts. But they're still hungry and looking for a sustainable meal."

A loud thumping on the roof drew both men's attention upwards.

"Oh, it's like New Times Square in here, for goodness's sake!" The man grumbled as a robed figure dropped through the opening.

"I've invented a sport." The Doctor quipped, standing up to greet the newcomer.

"Doctor, you're a hard man to find." The feline grinned.

"No guns." The owner of the car demanded. "I'm not having guns."

"I only brought this in case of pirates." she assured him before turning back to the Time Lord. "Doctor, you've got to come with me."

His brows furrowed in confusion as he took in her sky blue dress and habit. "Do I know you?"

"You haven't aged at all." she smiled shyly. "Time has been less kind to me."

"Novice Hame!" he exclaimed, pulling her in for a hug, but then just as quickly pushed her away. "No, hold on, get off. Last time we met, you were breeding humans for experimentation."

"I've sought forgiveness, Doctor, for so many years, under his guidance. And if you come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself."

"I'm not going anywhere." he said firmly. "Rose is stuck down there and I need to find her. Not to mention you've got Macra living underneath this city. Macra!"

"You've got to come with me right now." Novice Hame demanded.

"No, no, no, you're coming with me." he nodded towards the other man who was staring at them wide eyed. "We've got three passengers now."

"I'm sorry, Doctor. But the situation is even worse than you can imagine." grabbing hold of his wrist, she activated the bracelet on her arm. "Transport."

As The Doctor quickly registered what she was doing, he attempted to yank his arm away. "Don't you dare!" he shouted. "Don't you dare!" His eyes were filled with a blinding blue light, and the next thing he knew, he was lying face down on a hard cement floor. "Oh, rough teleport." he groaned as he pushed himself up. When he got to his feet, he saw Novice Hame doing the same a few meters away. "You can go straight back down and teleport people out, starting with Rose." he told her angrily.

"I only had the power for one trip."

"Then get some more!" he growled before taking in his surroundings. "Where are we?"

"High above, in the over-city." she informed him

"Good." he turned back to her, his anger now reaching a boiling point. "Because you can tell the Senate of New, New York I'd like a word. They have got thousands of people trapped on the motorway. Millions!"

"But you're inside the Senate, right now." she said as she activated her bracelet once more to restore the power. "May the goddess Santori bless them." As the lights flickered on, they illuminated the skeletal remains that lined the rows of seats above. What once housed a powerful governing branch was now a tomb. "They died, Doctor." she said mournfully. "The city died."

"How long's it been like this?" he asked as he took in the grisly scene.

"Twenty-four years."

"All of them?" he said, awestruck. "Everyone? What happened?"

"A new chemical. A new mood. They called it Bliss." she leaned down and removed the offending patch from one of the skeletons. "Everyone tried it. They couldn't stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished. Even the virus, in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat." His head shot up in surprise at the timeframe and she nodded in affirmation. "There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under-city. Those people on the motorway aren't lost, Doctor. They were saved."

"So the whole thing down there is running on automatic." The Doctor said in realization.

"There's not enough power to get them out. We did all we could to stop the system from choking."

The Doctor's brows furrowed. "Who's we? How did you survive?"

"He protected me. And he has waited for you, these long years."

"_Doctor_."

The Doctor looked around in bewilderment trying to ascertain where the voice was coming from and then he saw him. "The Face of Boe!" he called out, jogging across the room to greet his old friend.

"_I knew you would come." _he said softly.

"Back in the old days, I was made his nurse as penance for my sin." Novice Hame bowed her head as she stepped up behind him.

Crouching down next to the tank, The Doctor pressed his hand against the glass. "Old friend, what happened to you?"

Boe's eyes drooped slightly as he responded._ "Failing." _

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke." she explained. "But with no one to maintain it, the City's power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea."

"So he saved them." The Doctor smiled sadly as he patted the glass.

"The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe. He's giving his life force just to keep things running."

"But there are planets out there." he said, glancing back at her. "You could have called for help."

She shook her head. "The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe. The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years."

"So the two of you stayed here, on your own for all these years." he murmured as he stood up, coming to realize the hell they had put themselves through in order to protect the remainder of the population.

Novice Hame lowered her head, looking down at the floor. "We had no choice."

"Yes, you did." he said softly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"_Save them, Doctor." _Boe implored him as he drew in a ragged breath. _"Save them." _

**-oOo-**

The heat in the car continued to rise making the trio sweat profusely and Rose's chest began to feel heavy from the lack of oxygen, almost reminiscent of when she had to give The Doctor CPR on the moon.

"How much air's left?" Cheen inquired.

He looked up at the screen and winced. "Two minutes."

"The Doctor will come for me. You jus' wait. He'll get us out of here."

"Rose," Milo shook his head in disagreement. "No one's coming."

Rose glared at him, but held her tongue.

"He looked kind of nice." Cheen offered. "Are you two married?"

"No." Rose snorted softly. "No we're not married."

"But you want to be." Cheen pressed. "I can tell." Rose blushed and looked away. "I never even asked." the woman continued. "Where's home?"

"He's my home. We jus' sort a' travel all over."

"So um, who he is exactly, this Doctor of yours?" Milo asked.

Rose smiled to herself for a moment. How could she possibly put into words everything that he was and everything that he meant to her. He was life and love and home. A beacon in the dark, a terrifyingly beautiful force, a savior who touched the lives of everyone they met. And with that thought, she looked up into his eyes and said with conviction, "Hope."

"And you really believe he can save us?" Cheen said skeptically.

"You jus' wait, 'cause you haven't seen the things he can do." Rose replied firmly. "Trust me, both of you. You've got your faith, you've got your songs and your hymns, but I've got the Doctor. He is my light in the darkness and I will trust him to the ends of the earth."

"Right." Milo said as he began turning the systems back on with renewed confidence from Rose's speech.

"SYSTEMS BACK ONLINE." The Computer stated as he held his hand out to the blonde and she shook it firmly.

"Good luck." he told her.

She smiled. "And you."

Blowing out a deep breath, Milo grasped hold of the wheel and slammed his foot down on the gas.

**-oOo-**

**"**Car four six five diamond six. It still registers!" The Doctor exclaimed happily as he watched the monitor. "That's where Rose is. Novice Hame," he called out, pointing to a lever as she ran over. "Hold that in place." He grabbed a large bundle of cable from the floor, checking to make sure it was connected. "Think, think, think, think." he muttered. "Take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the electricity grid."

"I don't think there's enough power." Novice Hame called to him over her shoulder.

"Oh, you've got power." he assured her. "You've got me. I'm brilliant with computers, just you watch." He turned back towards her and pointed at the control panels. "Hame, every switch on that bank up to maximum. I can't power up the city, but all the city needs is people."

"So what are you going to do?" she asked.

"This!" he shouted, yanking down on a giant lever. At the moment the switch was flipped, all of the monitors went out and the sound of the generator powering down filled the room. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no." he yelled, running his hands through his hair. Pulling out his sonic, he ran over to the control box and scanned it. "The transformers are blocked. The signal can't get through."

"_Doctor." _Boe said quietly.

"Yeah, hold on, not now." he replied, waving him off.

"_Always so damn difficult."_ Boe sighed and rolled his eyes before blowing out a heavy breath that immediately reactivated the computers.

The Doctor's jaw went slack and as he turned back to face Boe, he grinned, leaping to his feet. "Hame, look after him. Don't you go dying on me, you big old face. You've got to see this." he flipped the lever once more, opening the roof to the motorway. "The open road. Ha!" Flipping a few more switches, he boosted the transmission feed, and picked up a large microphone. "I'm looking for Thomas Kincade Brannigan. Come in Brannigan." The monitor in front of him scrambled and was replaced with an image of Brannigan, Valerie and Martha all staring back at him.

"Doctor is that really you?" Brannigan asked in astonishment.

"It's really me. Good to see you again sir and I appreciate you looking after Martha for me." he gave her a little wave and she returned it with a wide smile. "Now, if you could please direct your attention up above." he flipped one last lever and the roof over the motorway parted, allowing the sunlight to stream through.

"Oh, Brannigan, it's the sun!" Valerie gasped.

"By all the cats in the kingdom!" Brannigan's mouth gaped open in awe as he looked into the sky above. "He's a magician."

"That he is." Martha agreed.

The Doctor was soon broadcasting on all wavelengths, reaching out to every car. "Sorry, no Sally Calypso. She was just a hologram. My name's the Doctor and this is an order. Everyone drive up. Right now."

"Are you serious?" Brannigan asked the image on the screen.

"He's always serious." Martha replied for him. "Now go on, you heard him. Drive up."

"I've opened the roof of the motorway." The Doctor continued. "Come on. Throttle those engines. Drive up. All of you. The whole under-city. Drive up, drive up, drive up! Fast! We've got to clear that fast lane. Drive up and get out of the way."

The monitor switched over to static and another voice came through. "Doctor?"

"Rose?"

"S' me!" she confirmed. "M' here."

"Rose, drive up! Get them to drive up."

A male voice came through next. "We can't go up! We'll hit the layer!"

"Just do as he says and go up!" Rose responded to the man sharply. "I told you he'd come through!"

"You've got access above." The Doctor told them. "Now go! Brannigan, you still there?"

"Did I tell you, Doctor?" the cat replied. "You're not bad, sir. You're not bad at all! Oh, yee-hah!"

The Doctor chuckled. "You keep driving, Brannigan. All the way up. Because it's here, just waiting for you. The city of New New York, and it's yours. And if you wouldn't mind dropping of Miss Martha Jones on your way, I'd appreciate it."

"I reckon that's a fair bargain, sir."

"And Car four six five diamond six," The Doctor continued. "I've sent you a flight path as well. Come to the Senate. It's been quite a while since I saw you, Rose Tyler. Don't keep me waiting much longer."

"You couldn't keep me away." he heard Rose reply.

"Doctor!" Novice Hame cried out.

Spinning around, he saw a large crack spreading across the front of Boe's tank. Within seconds the crack splintered out in every direction and the glass shattered, scattering the shards across the floor.

**-oOo-**

When Rose entered the main room of the senate, she covered her mouth in shock at the numerous skeletal remains that lined the seats.

"Rose?"

Spinning around, she caught sight of her new friend, who was looking equally as shocked. "Martha!" she said, running over to hug the woman.

"Are you alright?" Martha asked pulling back and giving her a once over to make sure.

"M' fine." Rose nodded. "You?"

"Yeah, I'm good. What happened here?" She asked, looking around.

Rose shook her head. "I don't know."

They walked through another doorway and Rose could see The Doctor's profile crouched down towards the back of the room. "Doctor?" she called out.

"Rose!" he breathed out in relief as he leapt to his feet, rushing over to greet her.

Within seconds, he had swept her up into his arms and she buried her face into his neck. He held onto her tightly, swinging her around once before setting her back down and crushing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss.

"I missed you." he whispered against her lips.

"Me too." She said kissing him once more, before wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him fiercely. As she opened her eyes again, she rested her chin on his shoulder and gasped at the scene before her. "Oh my god, Boe!" She released The Doctor and ran towards their old friend, careful to avoid the shattered glass shards littering the ground from the tank that once housed the telepathic head.

"_Hello stranger_." She heard his voice greet her telepathically. "_Oh, how I've missed you._"

"Oh Boe," she reached out and brushed her hand against his cheek. "What happened?"

"My lord gave his life to save the city, and now he's dying." Novice Hame replied sadly.

"No," Rose shook her head, looking back at Boe. "You can't die."

"She's right." The Doctor said, crouching down next to her and placing his hand on her shoulder. "Not old Boe. Plenty of life left."

"_My friends_, _it's good to breathe the air once more_." Boe said in a tired voice as he struggled to remain conscious.

The Doctor looked back over his shoulder at Martha. She was still standing in the same spot she had been when they came in, not wanting to interrupt the seemingly personal moment. "It's alright Martha. Come say hello." He said softly, motioning her over with a tilt of his head.

She approached slowly, giving the large face a timid smile and then she gasped as she heard a voice in her head. When she saw the couple looking back at her she shook her head. "I heard him talking to me, but he didn't…his mouth didn't move, but I heard him."

"What did he say?" The Doctor asked.

"He said…" she trailed off, a light blush spreading across her cheeks. "He um, complimented me."

Rose giggled softly. "He's Telepathic. S' how he communicates."

"Who is he?" Martha asked curiously.

"It's the Face of Boe." The Doctor told her. "But beyond that, I don't even know. Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years. Isn't that right?" he smiled at his oldest friend. "And you're not about to give up now."

"_Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most_."

"The legend says more." Novice Hame cut in.

"Don't." The Doctor interrupted, shaking his head. "There's no need for that."

Ignoring his protest, she continued. "It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveler."

"Yeah, but not yet." He gave her a pointed look before turning back to Boe. "Who needs secrets, eh?"

"_I have seen so much. Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you were once the last of yours, Doctor._" Boe's gaze drifted towards Rose for a moment. Her eyes widened in shock but she remained silent.

"That's why we have to survive." The Doctor pleaded, oblivious to her reaction. "Don't go."

"_I must. But know this, Time Lord." _he looked directly into The Doctor's eyes, as his final words were spoken aloud. "You are not alone."

Taking one last breath, Boe's eyes fluttered shut and did not open again. Martha wrapped her arms around herself and lowered her head as Novice Hame began to weep silently. Rose reached out to softly stroke Boe's cheek one last time before turning and burying her face in The Doctor's chest to muffle her own sobs as he wrapped his arms around her, rocking her gently.

They all sat in silence for a few moments before Novice Hame politely dismissed them so that she could proceed with the final arrangements in accordance with Boe's wishes, and with a tearful farewell, the trio made their way back to Pharmacy Town.

"All closed down." The Doctor remarked as they walked along the alleyway looking at the closed signs posted over the empty vending carts. Wandering over, he poked his head inside one of the carts for confirmation.

"Happy?" Martha teased.

"Happy, happy." He grinned as he rejoined them. "New, New York can start again. And they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs. Cats in charge." He chuckled, playfully bumping Rose's shoulder with his own before taking her hand. "Come on, time we were off."

Rose had been deep in thought ever since they left the senate. Boe's death had seemed to affect her quite significantly, but he chalked it up to the pregnancy hormones and decided not to push the subject, figuring she would talk to him when she needed to.

"What do you think Boe meant when he said you're not alone?" Rose finally spoke up as they approached the TARDIS. "Do you think he meant the baby?"

"I dunno. Could be." He stopped and pulled her into his arms, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Or maybe he just meant you." As he leaned in to kiss her a soft melody filled the air.

"What is that?" Martha said, looking around for the source.

"S' the city." Rose smiled softly. "They're singin'."

"They've got a lot to be thankful for today." The Doctor said, nuzzling her nose with his own. "After being lost in the dark for so long, now they have a chance to live proper lives and make the city what it once was."

"Speaking of," Rose gave him a teasing grin as she seemed to come back to herself. "Second time we've been here now and we still didn't get to see any sights."

"Yeah," The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck. "Have I told you how sorry I am about that?"

"Mmm," she wrapped her arms around his neck. "But maybe you could also show me how much later, yeah?" she whispered seductively as she pressed her lips to his.

Pulling back, he nuzzled her nose with his own again. "Oh, I think I'm going to enjoy making it up to you Rose Tyler." He grinned. "But first, I have a little peace offering." He looked over at Martha, who was leaning up against the TARDIS, studying her shoes like they were the most interesting things in the universe. "For both of you." Martha's head shot up and her eyes met his. "Just one more trip to make up for this fiasco."

"Really?" Martha aked, voice filled with hope.

"Really." He nodded, releasing Rose to pull out his key and walking over to unlock the doors.

"What did you have in mind?" Rose asked, coming up behind him and resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Weell, New, New York is great and all but," he raised an eyebrow and gave her a mischievous smile. "Nothing beats the original."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the new chapter. THanks again to all my regulars: Mirror Flower and Dark Wind, Pegasusfeather7, Bobsayshello, RhizOneill, Dreamcatcher49, LadyHathaway, and jenn008. And for TheSexyTardis, since I couldn't find a way to respond directly, Thank you so much for your compliments and feedback. It makes me feel good to know my writing has such a positive effect and I plan on continuing as long as my brain pops out new ideas. I will try to put a little bit more smut in later on, and yes Martha will be sticking around for a while. I like the aspect of exploring what I've always felt would have been a very strong friendship between her and Rose, had the circumstances been different, and of course Donna will be back too.**


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